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Androzani84 Watches Hurricaneger, Part II: The Post Show Years
Well, since I concluded the series, I’m now going to move onto the post show material where the Hurricanegers or one of their ensemble plays a role bigger than a cameo. These will be weekly beginning with this Friday and updating semi-regularly afterwards.
With that said, here’s a list of the material I’ll be watching and where I’ll be getting the subs in the photographs from (though like the original thread, what terminology I use is my own decision) Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger vs Hurricaneger (Gao Soul Forever) GoGo Sentai Boukenger vs Super Sentai (Tv-Nihon) Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger Episode 25: Pirate and Ninja and Episode 26: Shushutto the Special (Over-Time) Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Season Tsuu Episode 7: Delusional Spy (Tv-Nihon) Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger: 10 Years After (Pocket Universe) Shuriken Sentai Ninninger Shinobi 7: Spring Ninja Festival and Shinobi 43: The Legendary Ninja! Yokai Karuta Tactics (Over-Time) Hero Mama League (I couldn?€™t actually find a subbed version, so I?€™m going off a raw). |
Including Akibaranger made me giggle. I hope you have fun with all of these!
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Hopefully I will. |
Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger vs Hurricaneger
Okay, since I don’t expect everyone to be in the know about the shows that will crossover in this thread, so I’ll start with a basic explanation of the premise, and a summary of the story and a brief explanation of the characters so far prior to the film. 65 million years ago, the Earth was impacted by a meteorite. The collision split it into two different dimensions, Dino Earth, where the Dinosaurs thrived and evolved into the mechanical Bakuryuu (portmanteau of “bakuretsu” (explode) and “Kyoryu” (dinosaur).)and the humanoid Ryuujins (dragon people), and Another Earth, where mammals thrived and gave way to humanity. But Dino Earth came under attack by a group of Evil Lifeforms known as Evolian, born from the Evil Life God Dezumozorlya (try saying that while you’re drunk). Having conquered Dino Earth and driven its population to near extinction, albeit at the cost of its body, Dezumozorlya now sets its sites on Another Earth. But a surviving Ryuujin, Asuka, travels to Another Earth to find three who can use the power of the Bakuryuu via the energy of justice, Dino Guts (to clarify, anyone can use Dino Guts, but only a few can use the suits to fight and hear the voices of the Bakuryuu). Finding the three, the four form the Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger (from “Abare”, meaning rampage) to take the fight to Evolian and save both worlds. But their job is compromised by AbareKiller, a doctor bored with how awesome he is at everything (how awesome is he? His transformation device, the Dino Minder, should’ve exploded several transformations ago, that’s how), who joins the battle to have some fun. The bad news is, not only is he insanely powerful and utterly without regard for human life beyond it being his job to save it, but he’s sided with the Evolian because he felt they were more interesting. The Characters Heroes: Ryouga Hakua/AbaRed: A 22-year-old environmental protection investigator from the United States, and the optimistic team leader of the Abarangers. Though he's overly confident, he has an extremely good nature and is friendly, warmhearted, and loving. He was given guardianship of Mai after his brother and sister-in-law died and gave his best to raise her. when the three Bakuryu captured by the Evolian controlled started to rampage through Tokyo, he and Mai tryed to flee while helping other nearby people, but when trying to untie a leashed puppy, he was caught in an accident and was hospitalized, even while Yukito and Ranru had tamed Triceratops and Pteranodon, but after he heard Tyranosaurus' call, he awoke and ran outside to have his Dino Brace tossed to him, becoming AbaRed, but almost getting eaten in the process. He eventually gained the power to become AbareMax. Yukito Sanjo/AbareBlue: A charismatic 21 year old chiropractor and the Anti-Hero of the group, Yukito will help anyone, but charges outrageously high prices for it: in fact, he asked Asuka for U.S. $400,000,000 in order to assume his role as AbareBlue, something Asuka naively accepted and promised to save and pay, much to Yukito's surprise. He seems cold, but has a kind heart underneath, though he will never fully reveal his feelings. Yukito chose to move into the Dino House with the others to avoid having to commute from the area where he lives. Yukito's anti-social personality comes from his past: when he was little, his father tried to groom him into taking over the Sanjou Corporation for the future. Yukito was forced to study daily and was never given breaks; he wasn't even allowed to have any friends. The last straw that broke the father-son relationship was when his father paid his girlfriend's family to move away while he was in junior high. Yukito never forgave him for that and claimed that he hated him, but in reality, he harbored a self-loathing for a long time. Ranru Itsuki/AbareYellow: A 20 year old technology mistress who owns a German BD-1 bicycle she nicknamed "Birdie." All she really wants is peace. She was formerly trained to be an idol, but Ranru hated it and left to work in the mechanical field. She is interested in anything mechanical, can create her own devices, and is a genius in mechanics. Ranru used to be afraid of nattō until she was forced to conquer it during a battle with a Trinoid. Ranru also carries a small camera with her and usually snaps photos of the enemy during mid-battle to come up with a strategy on how to defeat it. She sometimes has an itchy back and often wants others to scratch it for her. Asuka/AbareBlack: A warrior from Dino Earth with a sad past. He was the last of the people who fought the Evolians and escaped to Earth. He brought the Dino Bracelets and gave them to the Abarangers. When he arrived, the Dino Harp was damaged, so he couldn't transform. When he got it finally restored, he lost his first battles as he couldn't use his Dino Guts correctly, until his true sense of justice awakened. Asuka has shown enormous amounts of power, as he has been able even of defeating a Giganoid and an upgraded KillerGhost on his own: however, due to his gentle personality, he often holds back during battles. In one episode, it was revealed that his surname was "Ono", although he only uses it on Another Earth. His Burstosaur partner is Brachio. Allies: Tyranno: Ryoga's partner and the strongest of the original three Bakuryu. Tricera: Yukito's partner. Ptera: Ranru's partner. Brachio: Asuka’s partner, who speaks in a mixture of Toku song lyrics, Japanese advertising slogans and proverbs. The oldest of the Bakuryuu Emiri Imanaka/AbarePink: Emiri is a high school student. When the Bakuryuu first came to earth, Emiri heard their call and almost became AbareYellow. Unfortunately, her body was unable to support the transformation, but Emiri contributes for the team, such as suggesting names (she came up with Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger and AbareMax). She tries her hardest to become an Abaranger and eventually does after Tensaikku's defeat in terms of AbarePink (or "AbarePig" as Yukito called her), where she turned herself into a pig using psychic powers. One of her many mishaps are the time that Voffa tried to turn her into Giganoid #6: Giant. Later in the series, Emiri creates her own AbarePink suit (of course without powers), in order to convince her parents to let her stay at the Dino Curry House, but this suit lasted for only a single episode. Emiri also nicknames herself as "Emi-pon." Ryunosuke Sugishita: Sugishita runs a curry restaurant called Dino House, which is the Abarangers' base of operations. When the Bakuryuu first came to Earth, Sugishita heard their call and almost became AbareBlue. Unfortunately, his body was unable to support the transformation. Kind and supporting of the Abaranger, he often gives advice and helps the team whenever possible. Villains Dr. Mikoto Nakadai/AbareKiller: A brilliant doctor who was bored with life until he saw the Evolian-controlled Bakuryuu attack the city, but was disappointed that they were used for good. He later found the egg of Bakuryuu TopGaler and the DinoMinder and became AbareKiller. Bakuryuu TopGaler: Mikoto's partner, has a similar personality to him. He has the ability to combine with any other Bakuryuu Reje: She is Dezumozorlya's child-like Apostle of Life, responsible for linking the two worlds. She was created when the Dino-Earth Dezumozorlya entered Mahoro's body, using her and Asuka's unborn child to serve as its host. But half of Lije's soul took a life of it own and became another side to her, a girl only referred to as the mysterious girl. Lije would eventually meet up with Mikoto, having feelings for him. Jeanne: The Destruction Messenger, she's really Mahoro, Asuka's Love Interest from Dino Earth. When she and her brother entered the Garden Palace to end the fighting, they were captured by Dezumozorya who showed her that Asuka "abandoned" them before using her to create Lije. Since then, Mahoro discarded her name and became the Destruction Messenger Jeanne, fixated on killing Asuka for betraying her. Mikaela: One of Dezumozorlya’s Creation Messengers. He creates Trinoids by combining three elements (an object, a plant and an animal) from Another Earth. Voffa: The other Creation Messenger. He creates giants sized Giganoids based on musical compositions. With that out of the way, I’ll mention that I personally think Abaranger is Naruhisa Arakawa’s best work and that this V-Cinema is by Atsushi Maekawa (as the most senior member of the writing crew who’s written for both shows represented), so on with the review. The story opens with two giants, see only in close ups, attacking in the city, which promptly sets off alarms at the Dino Curry house. The Abarangers, assuming them to be Giganoids, Bakuryuu Change and head into battle, with the trio of Ryouga, Sanjou and Ranru going AbarenOh, while Asuka goes in MaxRyuuOh (and to avoid any confusion with names and to prevent myself from having to dig up different videos, I’ll post a compilation of all the Abaranger mecha). https://youtube.com/watch?v=FX8NGeXvTyA https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CL99eX...jpg&name=small We then get a good look at the two giants and they are… Senpuujin and Gouraijin? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CL99oX...jpg&name=small As the 4 mecha get into the VS part of this movie (be honest, we’ve all done this with our Megazord toys at some point), as the theme song for Abaranger plays in the background. https://youtube.com/watch?v=1xN3soWs0Nc Rampage, rampage, rampage, turn up! Get up! Rampage, rampage, push forward! Who is it that stains the name of justice now? It turns up from a crack in the sky The Dino Guts that stir up the heart Turn their fangs unto the warmest dreams The memories of old times The moment they awaken The engraved message now Goes up in flames Only the rampaging ones can get stronger Only the rampaging ones know gentleness Rampage, rampage, rampage, turn up! Get up! Rampage, rampage, until... we win! Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger! Abaranger! After a prolonged fight that shows off a lot of the Karakuri Balls, the two Karakuri Giants equally the Bakuryuu Combinations and knock tone of each other down to the ground below. We then see just who was piloting Senpuujin and Gouraijin to cause all this chaos. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CL99uW...jpg&name=small “I am the seductress, Wendinu.” “I am the evaluator, Furabijo. Kaboom.” As the Abarangers are blown back, a red blur cuts through them, before returning to normal speeds to show that its Yosuke. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CL99oX...jpg&name=small Yosuke asks Wendinu and Furabijo how they survived being blown up alongside Sandaaru, to which they explain it. (So how come they got blasted to a different dimension, but Sandaaru only got blasted backwards?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CA0HvW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CA0H6X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CA0H2W...jpg&name=small Asuka is concerned by what they’ve picked up. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CA0IGW...jpg&name=small But despite his warnings, Wendinu performs the ritual, awakening the Evil Ninja Iga (who is voiced by Tau Zant’s VA, who doesn’t do much to distinguish the voices), who’s been wanting to come to Earth to rampage for a long time. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CA4-bX...jpg&name=small As Iga overpowers all 5 heroes with his JaNinpo: Kage Bunshin and the Abarangers are unable to fire the Super Dino Bomber before he performs his JaNinpo: Bakureppu due to Yosuke blocking their sights, they all get saved by the arrival of Ikkou and Kouta. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CA4-iW...jpg&name=small Iga then announces that that was just a dry run and leaves to prepare for something else, dragging a reluctant pair of Space Kunoichi with him. We then cut to the Dino Curry house, where the two Sentai are arguing over who’s fault it was (and we see that Yosuke, Ikkou and Kouta are all suffering from the phenomenon known as “VS Movie hair”, wherein a returning actor has a different style to what they had in the show). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CA4-oX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CBBvNW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CBBvIX...jpg&name=small As the argument turns to whether Iga counts as a Jakanja or an Evolian comes up, the Dino House gets a customer who isn’t “Mr. O’Shaugnessy”. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CBBvTX...jpg&name=small (And thus a running gag of characters from two different series professing to know each other through the Dino Curry house begins. Arakawa knows a good gag when he sees one, I’ll give him that) As everyone points out their presence to Oboro, Yosuke asks the question on everyone’s minds. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CBBvaX...jpg&name=small But before we can get that answer, we cut back to Evolian, where Jeanne, Mikoto and Reje (in that order) give their two cents on the battle. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CMGe2W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CMGpcX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CMGzdX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CMG9pX...jpg&name=small Wendinu and Furabijo then reveal what exactly the deal they made with Evolian was. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CBmtkW...jpg&name=small But Mikoto refuses, telling them that now he has Iga, he doesn’t need either of them. But they’re able to argue a deal wherein they become Iga’s handmaidens, which Wendinu isn’t happy about. At Dino Curry, Oboro explains that the two Karakuri Giants were stolen from under her after she’d finished repairing them (I’d like to know the full details of this, in particular why security at Ninja Base was so lax). Which Sanjo and Asuka use as an excuse to further put down the Hurricanegers (I can see Sanjo doing this out of malice, but Asuka?). The argument is then derailed when Emiri screams at something in the kitchen. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CBmtnX...jpg&name=small As Ryunosuke runs into kill it, we see that it’s not a rat, it’s a hamster… https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CBmtyW...jpg&name=small Namely, Hamster Headmaster, who turns back into Mugensai to avoid further trouble. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CBmtnX...jpg&name=small Oboro asks why he’s here, and Mugensai decides to fill the late Shurikenger’s quota for broken English, beginning his sentence with “Because”. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCYWbW...jpg&name=small He explains that Iga was a Space Ninja who travelled to Dino Earth and got infected with an Evil Life Form. He went on a rampage until three philosophers sealed him in a jewel (there’s no pictures because this doesn’t have a pay off). Then a dimensional opening appears at one site, which Yosuke and Ryouga both head to (the latter chasing after the former), with two more opening in different locations. Mugensai and Oboro then decide to call in the big guns. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCYXaX...jpg&name=small The two in Spain turn out to be Nanami (who is the only one not suffering from VS Movie hair) and Isshu (who actually looks better for it)l with Nanami speaking in Spanish for reasons these quotes will explain. Quote:
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCYYIW...jpg&name=small As Nanami politely turns him down (maybe Isshu should change his tact), they get the call from Mugensai, while Nao-chan digs her career another inch deeper. Back in Japan, Yosuke explains to Ryouga that the reason he’s insisting on working this mission without the Abarangers is because of his pride over Senpuujin destroying the city. Then Iga shows up and throws something onto their Hurricane Gyro and Dino Brace, which cancels their transformation before it can begin. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCYYxW...jpg&name=small Iga explains that it’s his JaNinpo: Kawarimi Fuji. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCf8dW...jpg&name=small Ranru, Sanjo and Kouta come to a riverbank, where Ranru decides to call out Sanjo for his lack of tact. Kouta on the other hand thinks he’d get on well with Yosuke (to be fair, they didn’t speak directly to each other). They are interrupted by the arrival of… Iga? (And something looks off about him) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCf9xW...jpg&name=small It appears that he’s killed Ranru… but then it turns out she was saved by a new arrival who apparently made record time coming back from Spain. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCf-wW...jpg&name=small But Iga takes advantage of this heartwarming moment to do his JaNinpo: Kawarimi Fuji. In the woods, Ikkou and Asuka actually seem to be getting along… then another Iga appears and seals their Gourai Changer and Dino Commander respectively. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCnjxW...jpg&name=small But before he can kill them, Iga steps on some tacks and gets attacked by the other new arrival (and for whatever reason, Abaranger’s 5 composers chose to play the “evil” version of the Gouraiger theme rather than the heroic version). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCnlBX...jpg&name=small As Isshu gets sealed as well, it turns out that all three groups are facing copies of Iga created to distract the heroes from his real goal. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCnlzW...jpg&name=small We then cut back to the two Reds in their battle, where it becomes apparent that they’re also facing a colour coded clone. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCnmuX...jpg&name=small But it’s at this point that Yosuke and Ryouga call upon their heroic resolve and defeat him with a Kage no Mai, Soragake and Gyro Shuriken combo. At the river, Sanjo weakens the blue Iga by using his chiropractic skills to remove one of his vertebrae, before Ranru kills him with the Dino Laser she built into her Dino Brace. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCxuFW...jpg&name=small Isshu then blinds the white Iga with his jacket, allowing Ikkou and Asuka to impale him on a tree, before destroying him with a Ikazuchi Raigeki-zan/Ryuujin Abare Finish combo. But the clones have served their purpose, with Iga having absorbed all the Dino Guts from the citizens. As Ryouga and Yosuke come to an understanding, Emiri alerts them to the situation and directs them to his location: a quarry. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CCxwzX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CC4duW...jpg&name=small As the Abarangers vow to stop him for stealing something that belongs to everyone, the members of Evolian (sans Reje, for obvious reasons) and the two Space Kunoichi show up to back him up. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CC4eqX...jpg&name=small Mikoto then initiates his Bakuryuu Change (worth mentioning is that AbareKiller is the one Sentai Hero without a transformation sequence, even after he turns good. He simply presses the button, light surrounds him and he fades into AbareKiller). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CC4ftW...jpg&name=small The 9 heroes then respond by doing their own transformation, which gets its own graphic created especially for this movie. Abarangers: Bakuryuu Change! Hurricanegers: Ninpuu, Shinobi Change! Gouraigers: Jinrai, Shinobi Change! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CC4g9X...jpg&name=small Ryouga: Explosive Energy, AbaRed! Yukito: Explode Seriously, AbareBlue! Ranru: Explosive Dash of Courage, AbareYellow! Asuka: The Invincible Ryuujin Spirit, AbareBlack! Ryouga: The Savage Dino Guts… Abarangers: Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger! Yosuke: The wind blows and the sky rages; Sky Ninja, HurricaneRed! Nanami: The water dances and the waves crash; Water Ninja, HurricaneBlue! Kouta: The land trembles and the flowers sing; Land Ninja, HurricaneYellow! Yosuke: Unknown to the people,… Nanami: Unknown to the world,… Kouta: We become shadows to combat evil. Hurricanegers: Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger… Yosuke:…has aaaarrived! Ikkou: The Crimson Lightning; Horned Ninja, KabutoRaiger! Isshu! The Azure Thunder; Fanged Ninja, KuwagaRaiger! Ikkou: I face the darkness, I slash the darkness… Isshu: I fac the light, I slash the light… Both: Denkousekka Gouraiger, Revealed! After the roll call, Ryouga makes a declaration that catches on in later VS movies like wildfire. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CEvklX...jpg&name=small The fight then begins with Sanjo riding on Kouta’s back as they and Asuka fight (for a given definition of fight, given how intricate the costumes are) Mikeala and Voffa, sending them packing with Asuka’s Dino Thruster: Triple Inferno, the Gouraigers managing to be the first people to get the edge on AbareKiller in a fair fight (for reference, he’s consistently one of the toughest opponents in the series), Nanami dangling from Ranru’s legs in a battle against the female villains (I had a picture, but the quality was terrible, so I omitted it) and Yosuke and Ryouga taking on Iga, only getting the advantage by using that same technique Yosuke performed with Kouta that one time, before Ryouga goes into AbareMax and defeats Iga in the Max Field. The two groups then combine the Victory Gadget and the Super Dino Bomber to create a new weapon. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CEvkhX...jpg&name=small With a declaration of “Victory Dino Dynamite”, Iga gets blown up. But then he uses the Dino Guts he’s collected to revive himself as a giant via JaNin Kyukyku Ougi: Kyojin Dai Henge. Asuka then summons Brachio, who chooses an appropriate Toku song to quote this time. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CEvlAW...jpg&name=small And then Oboro launches the Shinobi Machines from Brachio (No, you can’t do this with the toys), alongside the Bakuryuu https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CNPq1W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CNPtDW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CNPrKW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CNPsgX...jpg&name=small The Hurricanegers and Gouraigers form GouraiSenpuujin (sadly, Furaimaru doesn’t get his mandatory line), while the Abarangers go with AbarenOh (they don’t really have a lot of choice), while Mikoto joins the battle on Iga’s side using KillerOh. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CNcQoW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CNcQtX...jpg&name=small KillerOh survives the Rolling Thunder Hurricane (though still gets damaged by it), before overwhelming the enemy with his speed and defeating them with Bakuryuu Hissatsu: Death Stinger. Asuka saves them from total death using his Dino Thruster’s Ground Inferno, which depletes AbareKiller’s remaining energy, forcing him to withdraw. Meanwhile, Iga has a massive advantage over AbarenOh, even stopping its Bakuryuu Dengeki Drill Spin with his own JaNinpo: Iga Spin. But before he can finish them off for good, he gets pelted with Karakuri Balls launched by a familiar robotic elephant as an equally familiar guitar riff plays in the background). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CNcRsX...jpg&name=small Sure enough, Revolver Mammoth was summoned by Shurikenger, who handwaves his survival, before leaving. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CN23hW...jpg&name=small As the Bakuryuu urge their partners to get up and defeat Iga, Asuka has the Hurricanegers and Gouraigers send AbarenOh their Dino Guts. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CN24vX...jpg&name=small These energies form into a new Karakuri Ball, which opens to reveal the Mahoro Slasher, with Emiri naming this new combo (coming off GouraiSenpuujin Sword and Shield, this is kind of a letdown) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1CN25qX...jpg&name=small As Emiri and Ryunnosuke are excited, Oboro reprises her gag from the last VS movie. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1COK1DW...jpg&name=small With their new weapon, Iga’s Iga Spin is rendered useless, with the powers of the two Super Sentai defeating Iga with the Bakuryuu Hissatsu Kyukyuku Ougi: Bunshin Drill Slasher! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1COK3NW...jpg&name=small As everyone in the town regains their Dino Guts, the Hurricanegers decide to leave Evolian to the Abarangers, as everyone does a handshake with their counterparts. But since Isshu doesn’t have a counterpart, Asuka has everyone do a circle of friendship with him. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1COK10W...jpg&name=small Cue the credits, set to Abaranger’s ED, We Are the One - Bokura no Hitotsu (the tittle is the same phrase in English and Japanese. I know, it’s redundant) https://youtube.com/watch?v=NrWLJe_Rv8I Aba-Aba-Aba-Aba-Abaranger! Fight for your dreams, soldier! Aba-Aba-Aba-Aba-Abaranger! Justice is in each one of us! (DinoGuts!) If there is a time When we are necessary Call us, wherever you are We'll protect love Only for that reason Good spirits will fly out When the time comes That every power is combined An energy like never seen before Will change this world (Com-bine-by-bine!) Aba-Aba-Aba-Aba-Abaranger! Become one for tomorrow! Aba-Aba-Aba-Aba-Abaranger! Nothing frightens us in our recklessness! (DinoGuts!) Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger! After the credits, we get Abaranger’s version of the Uchuu Ninja File, the post credits scene (suck it Marvel) where they answer unanswered questions from the events that just transpired. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1COK2iX...jpg&name=small The answer? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1COkNdW...jpg&name=small But before they can plan to come back from this, they are chased by a giant worm, with the movie ending with the implication that they were eaten by it. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1COkNbW...jpg&name=small Final thoughts: Overall a fairly harmless fun interaction between the two teams. It’s not as inventive as Hurricaneger vs Abaranger, but it’s still got it’s good moments. And it set the template for later Sentai vs Movies through Go-Onger, so it must’ve done something right. Tune in next time for my review of the Boukenger’s teaming up with representatives from 5 previous Sentai against a deadly new enemy: GoGo Sentai Boukenger vs Super Sentai. See you then. |
GoGo Sentai Boukenger VS Super Sentai
(Apologies in advance to gashatfreak for any bad memories of his own abortive watch thread for this show). Okay, so just like last time, I’ll start off with an explanation of the Boukenger premise and the characters who’ll appear in this movie. I’ll also mention that all the Boukenger’s have personalities based on a previous Sentai hero, while all the villains have a design based off a past Sentai mecha (with the only series they don’t cover being Goggle Five, since the Boukenger’s themselves are a homage. Premise “In every era, there are explorers that seek unknown worlds. People call them "adventurers". SGS foundation is a non-government organization that gathers lost treasures from around the world. Treasures such as relics from ancient civilizations, the treasures left behind by people, as well as animals near extinction. Among them are treasures that possess powers surpassing current technology called Precious. SGS is a secret team that finds and protects the Precious!” Heroes Satoru “Chief” Akashi/BoukenRed: Leader of the Boukengers. He has an unquenchable love for adventure, which covers up his own failure to save his archeology buddies from a cave-in. Has a habit of snapping his fingers and saying “Attack!”. Based off Tsuyoshi Kaijo/Akarenger Masumi Inoue/BoukenBlack: A former “treasure hunter” (read: thief) who likes to keep to himself. The only one who doesn’t call Akashi “Chief”. In his youth, his guardians were attacked by Dark Shadow’s Yami no Yaiba, who showed all of them his true face (which by Yaiba’s own admission, is a death sentence). Masumi was the only survivor and is determined to face Yaiba in revenge to know why. Based off Gai Yuki/Black Condor. Souta Mogami/BoukenBlue: A womaniser and former spy, who serves as the information expert. Has a habit of saying “yes yes (sou sou) Souta”. Based off Kyosuke Shida/Battle France. Natsuki Mamiya/BoukenYellow: a younger member who is the one person Masumi gives a crap about. Is actually Lillina, Princess of the lost civilisation of Lemuria, who was placed in a suspended animation capsule as a baby that slowed down her aging so that she’d age one year for every 5000. Based off Ako Hayasakawa/Blue Swallow. Sakura Nishihori/BoukenPink: An heiress who joined the army because she was bored of being rich and then joined the Boukengers because she was bored of shooting enemy troops. Is the most professional of the group, insisting the others “use code names when in the field”. Considered the big sister of the Boukengers, though she never lets her more feminine side slip around the others. Based off Peggy Matsuyama/Momorenger. Eiji Takaoka/BoukenSilver: The Ashu watcher, whose family has been hunting the demons known as Ashu to eradicate them for centuries. He is also, ironically, half-Ashu, on his mother’s side. After the last of the Ashu, Gai and Rei, were revived as the cybernetic Questers, Eiji joined the Boukengers to help them eliminate the two. Based off Yamato Prince Burai/DragonRanger. Allies: Morio Makino: The tech guy, who invented the GoGo Vehicles based on Renaissance inventor Leon Giordino’s notes for the Parallel Engine, and the Bouken Suits that also draw power from the Parallel Engine, in addition to the rest of the Boukengers’ equipment. Mr. Voice: The superior of the Boukengers. Communicates entirely through a digital avatar on a monitor and possesses knowledge that he tries to keep out of the Boukenger’s hands. DaiKenjin (Great Sword Man) Zubaan: the sentient Golden Sword of Lemuria, tasked with protecting Princess Lillina (which caused problems the one time Natsuki got brainwashed into working with the bad guys). Incapable of speaking Japanese (though he does understand it) instead communicating entirely with a language made up of the syllables of his name (which the Boukengers can understand, but not speak). Enemies: High Bishop Gaja (old Indonesian for “priest”): The last survivor of the ancient civilisation of Goadom, who seeks to revive it in the modern day using a Precious, any Precious. Based off Variccune from Gorenger. Karths: Gaja’s golem-like footsoldiers. Based off Red Puncher from Ohranger/the Red Battlezord from Zeo. And onto the movie itself, this was originally intended as a Magiranger vs movie, before being retooled by the writer Akatsuki Yamatoya (who has never head-written a Sentai series, but has been a supporting writer on several and separately won an award) into a general anniversary movie. But, there are some relics of the original script, as you’ll see. With that said, on with the review. We begin at night, with Gaja meeting Chronos, the Majin of Time (based off Providus from Timeranger/the Transwarp Megazord from Time Force), with whom he has made a deal to conquer the world. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCNPrW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCNP9W...jpg&name=small As the two leave to prepare for world domination, they are observed by a shadowy figure. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCNQPW...jpg&name=small At SGS, Masumi is bored of waiting for something to happen. Then Mr. Voice speaks up as to the appearance of a Negative Syndicate. The 5 main Boukenger’s set out, and we get a fight scene with the Karths set to the sheer awesomeness that is the Boukenger theme (which is one of the best, if not the best, Sentai themes there is) (and to save you all time, I’ve found a video with all of Boukenger’s songs to skip through) https://youtube.com/watch?v=JjKk4qEeayw GO GO GO! GO GO GO! READY GO! Go forward, Boukenger! Aim for the ends of the Earth, Boukenger! (GO! GO!) READY GO!! Deep within our chests, the magnet of our hearts Tells us about the beat of awakening "dreams" Maybe you will find it, [because] in each one of us Lies a treasure still undiscovered START UP! With a burning-hot life SHIFT UP! Feel your blood running fast We are the children that were born from miracles Let's pursue our infinite dreams! GO GO GO! GO GO GO! READY GO! Go forward, Boukenger! Across the seas, the skies, the valleys, and the deserts No escaping! No losing! No crying! Burning adventure! Aim for the ends of the Earth, Boukenger! (GO! GO!) READY GO!! After the Karths are defeated, Chronos appears, making the Boukengers vanish with his Clockwork magic. A distressed Makino calls in Eiji, who is stopped by the same figure from before (who is voiced by Toru Furuya, better known as Tuxedo Mask in Sailor Moon) appears and introduces himself. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCNQlX...jpg&name=small As Eiji is confused, AkaRed tells him about the 30 Super Sentai that have defended the world. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCTshX...jpg&name=small AkaRed explains that Chronos plans to revive a dangerous Precious and conquer the world. In order to stop him and free the other Boukengers, AkaRed loans Eiji something he’ll need. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCTtJX...jpg&name=small But since AkaRed is already gone, Eiji decides he might as well check the book. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCTtuX...jpg&name=small Elsewhere, the other Boukenger’s wake up in a strange location, seemingly made of clockwork gears. But we cut back to Earth, where Eiji barges into Tsubasa Ozu’s boxing match to ask for his help, while the narrator explains who Tsubasa Ozu is for those not in the know. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCTuKX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCejAX...jpg&name=small But Tsubasa is occupied at the moment and Eiji ends up escorted off the premises by security. We then cut to a meeting between gangsters, with the camera stopping on one, as the narrator begins another infodump. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCejhW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCekNW...jpg&name=small It then transpired that the other gangsters are actually Alienizers (the monsters from Dekaranger). When Eiji walks in to recruit Tetsu, the latter violently beats him up, yells that he’s a member of the Gokuryuu Family and then throws him out the window. Meanwhile, Chronos leads Gaja to the Duel Bond Maradeyouna (I have no idea if I spelt that correctly) World (as seen in episode 34 of Magiranger) and recaps its significance. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCek-X...jpg&name=small He then summons up a hollow pedestal and has Gaja place a Goadom Engine in it, stating that he intends to revive three evil maidens to conquer the world. In the clockwork world, Natsuki and Souta discover that they can’t transform or summon the GoGo Vehicles respectively. As Satoru suggests increasing the range, Masumi discovers there’s someone else here, who the Narrator explains. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCotUX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCouEW...jpg&name=small Hisaru explains that this dimension is like a Maredoyouna World, and that it was created by Chronos, who also trapped him and his genie Smoky (who’s lamp Sakura discovers is a Precious with a Hazard Level of 285) there. But it’s due to fall apart soon, and Hikaru has to lead them to a way out. Back in reality, Eiji receives a call from the next name in the book, Abaranger’s Asuka. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCousX...jpg&name=small Unfortunately, he’s on Dino Earth, doing other things. (The Narrator does explain who he is, but it’s nothing particularly informative, so I’ll skip over it) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCovSW...jpg&name=small Asuka explains that he has a good reason why he hasn’t shown up yet. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCwcwW...jpg&name=small It’s because the dimensional door to Another Earth isn’t open yet and his connection is bad as it is. Meanwhile, after putting the next pillar in a quarry near the sea (hmmm?), Chronos takes Gaja to a ruined temple. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCwdZX...jpg&name=small He tasks the High Bishop with waiting for the maiden here to revive, while he goes to greet the first one. Meanwhile, we cut to a TV station, where we meet a familiar face that is the reason we’re all here (unless you just clicked on this page by accident). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YCweIX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDA8pX...jpg&name=small Sure enough, as the fans greet Nanami, we see that she’s the last name in the Address Book that Eiji has decided to recruit. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDA9eW...jpg&name=small But unfortunately, he gets dragged off by security (seems to be a thing with him today), but not before getting out that he knows she’s HurricaneBlue. Deciding that this Address Book was a load of phooey (and tossing it in the garbage), Eiji decides to stop Chronos himself. Back at Duel Bond, Meemy (voiced by Yasuhiro Takato, best known as Artemis in Sailor Moon, and known is Tokusatsu as the Smilodon Dopant in Kamen Rider W [I’m as confused as you are] and Carantula in Mashin Sentai Kiramager) (Now are you convinced that this is a repurposed vs Magiranger?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDA_BX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDA-dX...jpg&name=small (Not mentioned: his habit of saying “unpleasantness”) Meemy is then called away to join with Chronos, which he gladly does as a thank you for reviving him (why does every revived villain decide to team up with the one who revived them? You’d think they’d go off and resume their plans from before). As Eiji faces the two and ends up outmatched, he is saved from certain death by the arrival of the 4 he scouted earlier. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDJfHX...jpg&name=small Tetsu apologises for beating him up earlier, as he was undercover working a case that is now complete, while Nanami warns that she has an appointment at 6 o’clock. But in the ensuing fight, the 5 prove incapable of working together and the few hits they do manage to execute against Chronos and Meemy are reflected back at them, before the fight ends. Back at the ruined temple, the second maiden revives and gets the wrong idea about the old man standing next to her, staring in awe. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDJg5X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDJgUX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDJhjX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDRyZW...jpg&name=small As the two clear things up, in the clockwork dimension, Satoru realises that they had Zubaan on them all along (how do you forget that you’re carrying around a sword? That thing is not tiny). He uses it to call SGS headquarters, where the gathered representatives have degenerated into bickering with each other. With Akashi’s advice, Eiji turns the rabble into a strong fighting force as “Start Up Kizuna” (skip to 39:21 in the above video) kicks in, with AkaRed joining the team to fill the Red role. They find Chronos’ united alliance of evil at the quarry, where the final maiden has vanished upon revival. As “Mabayuki Senkou! Bouken Silver!” (Skip to 27:31) kicks in, AkaRed pulls out the Super Sentai Ball, which he has the others use to defeat the Karths (and for some reason, Asuka and Tsubasa assume their respective super modes exclusively for this sequence). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDRzWX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDR0NX...jpg&name=small In the clockwork dimension, Hikaru destroys the lock on the gateway by loading Zubaan into his MagiLamp Buster and firing him and Smoky together. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDR0_X...jpg&name=small This causes the gateway to manifest in the main world, with Eiji’s assembled “Dream Team” tasked with destroying it to free the others. As Chronos orders his men to stop them, AkaRed holds them off, foreshadowing the next anniversary Sentai in the process. AkaRed: Soul Advent: MagiRed! Mahou Henshin: Maagi Magi Magicka! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDah5X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDaiuW...jpg&name=small AkaRed: The Burning Fire Element! Magician of the Red! MagiRed! After kicking Meemy’s ass with MagiRed’s Red Fire, he turns his attention to TsueTsue, doing another Soul Advent. AkaRed: Soul Advent: GaoRed! Gao Access! Summon, Spirit of the Earth! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDajuX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDalAW...jpg&name=small After knocking TsueTsue back with the Lion Fang: Blazing Fire, the legend team destroy the gateway, freeing the Boukengers and Hikaru, who insta-changes into MagiShine in the process. AkaRed, now back to normal, names Satoru the Chief of all Super Sentai (suck it, Marvelous), as the 12 do their roll call. Satoru: The Fiery Adventurer, BoukenRed! Masumi: The Fast Adventurer, BoukenBlack! Souta: The High-up Adventurer, BoukenBlue! Natsuki: The Strong Adventurer, BoukenYellow! Sakura: The Deepsea Adventurer, BoukenPink! Eiji: The Dazzling Adventurer, BoukenSilver! Satoru: Never-ending Bouken spirits… All: GoGo Sentai Boukenger! Nanami: Waters dance, waves crash. Water Ninja, HurricaneBlue! Asuka: The Invincible Ryuujin Soul, AbareBlack! Tetsu: Facing outrageous evil! Smashing the terrifying darkness! The Daybreak Detective! DekaBreak! Tsubasa: The Galloping Thunder Element! Magician of the Yellow, MagiYellow! Hikaru: The Shining Sun Element! Tenkuu Hero, MagiShine! AkaRed: The inheritor of the Red souls. AkaRed! Satoru: We are… All: Super Sentai! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDkJOX...jpg&name=small A fight breaks out, wherein Masumi, Souta, Asuka and Tsubasa beat up Gaja (what else is new?), Natsuki, Sakura and Nanami somehow struggle with TsueTsue and Eiji, Tetsu and Hikaru pool their resources to take down Meemy. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDkKQW...jpg&name=small We then cut to the main highlight of this battle: Satoru and AkaRed vs Chronos, with AkaRed wielding AbaRed’s Tyranno Rod. (So he anticipated both Gokaiger and Zenkaiger) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDkLFX...jpg&name=small But Chronos soon tries to incapacitate AkaRed by wrapping him in ivy dispensed from his body. But, he’s still able to loan weapons to Satoru, granting him DekaRed’s Twin Magnum. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDkL-X...jpg&name=small When that’s only able to slightly annoy Chronos, AkaRed grants Satoru HurricaneRed’s Hayatemaru, allowing him to free the former with Kage no Mai. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDru7X...jpg&name=small AkaRed then makes a declaration. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDrwLX...jpg&name=small After BoukenRed beats Chronos back with his Bouken Javelin, all 12 Sentai heroes are blown back by the arrival of the final maiden, one Nanami knows all too well. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDrxDX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YDryHW...jpg&name=small Furabijo explains that she simply went for a walk, which is why she was missing earlier. As she, TsueTsue and Meemy take delight in blowing the heroes back, Chronos laughs, as everything he needs is now in his sight, not that they understand. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YD4b2W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YD4dIX...jpg&name=small He then merges the three into his ultimate weapon, the Sankenja (san=three, kenja=philosopher) Staff, which grows him giant and evolves him into his ultimate form (which looks like an evil version of Legend Magiranger, presumably a relic of the original script). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YD4fMX...jpg&name=small Sakura scans the Staff to determine that it’s a Precious with a Hazard Level of 666 (har har). And since everyone was reverted to normal, we get our obligatory group transformation here. Boukengers: Boukenger, Start Up! Eiji: GoGo Changer, Start Up! Hikaru: Tenkuu Henshin! Goolu Golu Goldiro! Tsubasa: Mahou Henshin! Maagi Magi Magicka! Tetsu: Emergency, DekaBreak! Asuka: Bakuryuu Change! Nanami: Ninpuu, Shinobi Change! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YD4eQX...jpg&name=small Akashi and Eiji then summon the GoGo Vehicles, with the main 5 forming Ultimate DaiBouken and the sixth hero forming SirenBuilder. https://youtube.com/watch?v=smup7dbk150 Chronos isn’t impressed. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YEEqRW...jpg&name=small Sure enough, Chronos proceeds to trash the two in the ensuing fight. But the main 5 aren’t out yet, summoning GoGo Voyager and separating it, before combining into DaiVoyager. This also fails to do much against Chronos. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YEEroW...jpg&name=small But then AkaRed has everyone else gather around him, having them gift him one of the values of a good Super Sentai that they represent. Eiji: Hope Hikaru: Love Tsubasa: Courage Tetsu: Justice Asuka: Passion Nanami: Friendship. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YEEslX...jpg&name=small With these powers given to him, AkaRed bestows new combination parts on DaiVoyager. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YEEtpW...jpg&name=small As the Boukengers state the values of Super Sentai that lie within them, they attack Chronos with the 30 Super Sentai Soul, destroying him. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YEPXWX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1YEPXYX...jpg&name=small As the three maidens return to hell, Gaja swears vengeance as he takes his leave. The movie ends with the legends being seen off by the Boukengers, as the credits begin to roll. And we get Boukenger showrunner Sho Aikawa’s contribution to the anniversary, a song performed by 80s Sentai singers MoJo, Takayuki Miyauchi and Akira Kushido, with composition by original Sentai composer Chuumei Watanabe. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ITfqVoj3rhI Oh friends whose passion burns red hot like a flame Your wings dance in the blue sky, reaching for the sun With a yellow spark that runs up to the distant future Together we have to defended the earth so green Just watch you demons, dinosaurs from another dimension Swift ninjas, secret science No force of evil shall defeat us Great super sentai We call on your name forever Super century super sentai Throughout the ages there you are Super sentai! Next time: The Gokaigers face two Action Commanders turning people into nuts. This and more in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, episode 25: Pirate and Ninja. Final thoughts: Okay, the plot is admittedly rather basic and not very big on character interactions. But it makes up for it with some good action and a surprising decon-recon switch of the Dream Team trope. |
Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, Episode 25: Pirate and Ninja
The premise: "The 34 Super Sentai who have protected the smiles of the people! They lost their powers fighting the Space Empire Zangyack, but their powers have been inherited by these unbelievable rogues! These youths travel the great seas of space searching for adventure and romance. They revolt against Space Empire Zangyack. These hearty fellows proudly bear the pirate name! And their name is..." (well a lot of this is a pack of lies) The characters: Captain Marvelous/Gokai Red: formerly part of an organised movement of pirates fighting Zangyack with the Ranger Keys, who fell apart due to infighting. Joe Gibken/Gokai Blue: A former Zangyack swordsman who defected when he realised what he was getting into. Luka Milfy/Gokai Yellow: A pickpocket who’s moved onto outright burglary. Ahim de Famille/Gokai Pink: The princess of the destroyed planet Famille and the only core Gokaiger with anything resembling a conscience. Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver: A human who was granted transformation abilities by the ghosts of Yamato Knight Burai/DragonRanger, Naoto Takizawa/TimeFire and Mikoto Nakadai/AbareKiller. Also a major Sentai fanboy who knows stuff he logically shouldn’t know. I think that’s all of them. Allies: Navi: a robot parrot with an annoying voice, fond of misquoting Denziman’s ending (he only says “do suru” twice instead of three times). Whenever he gets hit on the head, he states some vague hint that inevitably pushes the quest along. Zangyack: Warz Gil: The emperor’s son and the greatest threat to the Earth (and his own men, due to his tantrums). Damaras: Warz Gil’s bodyguard (in theory. In practice, he doesn’t do much body guarding) Barizorg: Warz’ actual bodyguard and the only one who actually does something more than make a plan. Also the only one that actually respects Warz (because that’s how he was programmed). Insarn: The smart girl of the Zangyack, who invented their growth ray and upgrades their Action Commanders if they struggle the first time. Gormin: the robotic footsoldiers of the Zangyack. Their greatest weakness is a dumpster (though it doesn’t come up much). Personally, I think Gokaiger is overrated. There wasn’t a lot I found worth watching the whole series for and there were only two character I found likeable and one more I found worthwhile. Among the show’s tributes, I found 5 to be actually good (none of which were written by the main writer) and this one wasn’t one of them. Though I didn’t have the benefit of having watched the series it was paying tribute to, so maybe I’ll reevaluate it. With all that said, on with the review. We open onboard the Gokai Galleon, where Gai has decided to recap the show so far (it makes some sense out of universe, since this is the halfway point of the series, but in-universe, there’s really no reason he should be doing this). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1loEx3W...jpg&name=small Despite Marvelous’ misgivings, someone convinced him, Joe and Luka (ie. the biggest jerks in a cast full of jerks) to sit down and shut up. Gai then proceeds to recap all the Greater Powers they’ve gathered so far. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1loEx7X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1loEx-X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1loEyDX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1loUnvX...jpg&name=small (For those not aware, the Greater Powers are basically just a new feature that gets added to their main mecha, Kaizoku Gattai GokaiOh (Pirate Combination Dynamic King). These 3 are the three so far that grant a new mecha, in the form of Mahou Sentai Magiranger’s MagiDragon (the combined form of Magi Minotaur, Magi Pixie, Magi Mermaid and Magi Garuda), Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger’s PatStriker (DekaRed’s Deka Vehicle) and Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger’s GaoLion (GaoRed’s Power Animal), which can combine further to form ShinkenGokaiOh (based on Samurai Sentai Shinkenger’s Samurai Gattai ShinkenOh).) https://youtube.com/watch?v=rUf1cXkERQQ https://youtube.com/watch?v=LJLDBHlvQi0 Ahim then points out Bandai’s influence regarding that last one. (Namely, that they’ve been using it a lot)Gai then brings up the ones that are “filler” powers (I have no idea why he only singles out the Gekiranger’s Greater Power, and not the ones they got from Carranger and GoGoV (Gingaman’s hadn’t been revealed by the time of this episode), namely traffic safety and the ability to shoot water from GokaiOh’s chest like a fire hydrant). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1loUnvW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1loUn5X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lodW1X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lodW-W...jpg&name=small He then recaps the three that make up his power set and mecha. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lodW5X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lodXFW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lonxtX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lonx1W...jpg&name=small https://youtube.com/watch?v=N9bFLc1_Jyc (For the record, I have no idea why the Zyuranger and Abanrager based modes homage their Tsuika warrior’s mecha, but the Timeranger mode is just a drill) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lonx2X...jpg&name=small Gai then proceeds to recap the events of that movie the American audience didn’t get to see for months after this episode (Since I know two prominent members of this forum got their start in Sentai through Gokaiger, can someone ask how confused they were by this part of the episode?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lonx2W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lowyNW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lowyVX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lowyUX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lowyWW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lo9MJX...jpg&name=small (Don’t worry, Gai. The Super Megaforce crew will film new footage of the Gokai Silver suit in the Legendary Battle) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lo9MTX...jpg&name=small But by this point, Marvellous, Joe and Luka have walked out (should’ve seen that coming when he said there’d be a test). After the opening credits, Warz Gill is informed that this time, there’ll be TWO Action Commanders carrying out the plan. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lo9MZX...jpg&name=small The Prince bids them enter, to which one of them complies… though not in the way anyone was expecting. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lo9MaX...jpg&name=small He introduces himself as Action Commander Sandaaru Jr. (Yeah, that’s one of my pet peeves with this show. Reusing costumes of old villains as new characters with no changes at all. I’d be okay if they made them more of their own characters, but they bring back the voice actors and give them the exact same personality as the originals. How can you make a character more of a clone of a beloved character than the clone of Manmarva? Make them a Gokaiger monster, that’s how). Warz Gill then asks that the other one NOT come in through the roof. He comes in through the floor. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpKMYX...jpg&name=small After failing to put the moves on Insarn, Action Commander Satarakura Jr. Asks for permission for him and his partner “Sandal-chan” (which is what I’ll call him from now on) to begin their plan. With it given, Junior (my nickname for Satarakura’s doppelgänger) begins give in people around the city a surprise (bikkuri), which turns them into sacred chestnuts (bi kuri). The presence of Junior and Sandal-chan (somehow) alerts a certain actress, physical pherapist and car-washer (he’s gone up in the world) to something nefarious (no, that was the Gouraigers’ power.) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpKMUW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpKMgX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpKMfW...jpg&name=small Elsewhere, the Jerkass trio have gone to bitch about Gai over ice cream. A session which gets interrupted when they see Junior’s handiwork. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpSOLX...jpg&name=small Junior then appears to collect, revealing his plan in the process (I see he’s about as smart as his dad was). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpSOQX...jpg&name=small Our trio Gokai Change and do battle. During this fight, Junior gives Luka some fondled memories… er fond mammaries… erm. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpSOUW...jpg&name=small She responds by giving his bi kuri a bikkuri. Then Sandal-chan appears, showing off his father's Uchuu Ninpo: Chosugai. It’s at this point our trio decide to Gokai Change into a certain RBY trio consisting of a bird of prey, a dolphin and a lion. That’s right. Liveman. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpSOUX...jpg&name=small When this doesn’t work, they decide to go for an RBG trio from the early 2000s. You guessed it, Abaranger. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpb5zX...jpg&name=small But that doesn’t do much better, with the Dino Bomber failing to overpower the two Action Commanders combined energy beam. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpb5sX...jpg&name=small It’s only with the appearance of the other Gokaigers that our heroes (such as they are) are able to get away with one of the chestnuts. From the side, Yosuke, Nanami and Kouta have watched the whole scene and have a more realistic response than most Legends when asked if the Gokaigers can be trusted https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpb50X...jpg&name=small Warz Gill calls to congratulate the two on managing to defeat the Hokaigers, at which point the plan is revealed. They will bake the chestnuts they’ve gathered into fuel for a missile, which they’ll fire into the air, surprising more people, making more chestnuts, making Zangyack conquest of Earth possible (there’s a few holes in this plan, but it does seem fitting for the Hurricaneger episodes, so I’ll let it slide). Back at the Gokai Galleon, Gai has an idea of how to find the enemy’s supply of nuts. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lpb57X...jpg&name=small Using BoukenSilver’s Sagasniper (since that was seemingly lost with the other powers, then that must mean that Eiji went crazy with nothing to suppress his Ashu half), the Gokaigers find the base and retrieve the nuts, while doing battle with the two Space Ninjas. But just as they’re about to finish them off, Junior pulls out his Uchuu Ninpo. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lplITW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lplIGW...jpg&name=small Junior then knocks everyone outside by turning into a giant head and hand (are we sure Wendinu isn’t the mother?), before sucking Marvellous, Joe and Luka into his Uchuu Ninpo: Hana Otoshi. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lplIQX...jpg&name=small He then leaps into the portal, sending out some friends to join the party (which leads to another issue. Beyond inexplicably having the Jakanja emblem on their chests, these guys have ZERO connection to the Jakanja, so how do they have access to the Magerappas?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1lplIeX...jpg&name=small And rather than have a straight fight, Sandal-chan uses Uchuu Ninpo: Kyodaimei no Jutsu to enlarge himself. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1msd5sX...jpg&name=small As the only one who can summon a mecha to do battle right now (only Marvellous can summon the Gokai Machines, despite all of them using the same Mobirates in terms of design), Gai goes out there in GoZyuJin, which ends up struggling against Sandal-chan. Until a new fighter joins the battle. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1msd50X...jpg&name=small It’s (a less badass version of) Furaimaru (seriously, he’s heavier, less powerful and his voice doesn’t have that cool echo effect anymore, which doesn’t help hide that the actor’s voice hasn’t aged well). The Hurricanegers manage to find their way to the scene just as this is happening. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1msd7UW...jpg&name=small (My question is who summoned him? All three Karakuri Giants were destroyed and I don’t think anybody’s been messing about with Revolver Mammoth lately) Furaimaru then easily defeats Sandal-chan by restraining him to the nearby building (1. Somehow, the CG Furaimaru looks worse than 2002, despite being 9 years later and 2. What a cop-out). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1msd7jW...jpg&name=small GoZyuJin then destroys Sandal-chan handily (Come on, he should’ve lasted longer than Junior). The three Hurricanegers then introduce themselves to the remaining Gokaigers. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1mshD2X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1msgvEW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1msgw3W...jpg&name=small They explain that Junior is too powerful for the Gokaigers to defeat and only the Hurricanegers with their Chou Ninpo can rescue the other Gokaigers, languishing in Junior’s dimension. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1mshEFX...jpg&name=small This guy then suggests a way they can defeat Junior. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1mskLbW...jpg&name=small But once again, they have a more realistic response to this than other Legends. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1mskL6X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1mskMUX...jpg&name=small Yosuke then makes a much more viable offer, with some actual reasoning behind it. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1mskMlX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1msoQrW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1msoQ9X...jpg&name=small But, since that’s apparently not enough of a cliffhanger, Gai refuses (yes, that’s right. The Sentai fanboy refuses to help the Legends who clearly know what they’re doing and are a lot more trustworthy than his own comrades. If that’s not out of character, than I don’t know what is). Next time, the Hurricanegers and the Gokaigers team up. This and more in “Episode 26: Shushutto the Special”. Final thoughts: Yeah, now that I understand more of the elements, I guess I’m slightly more open to the plot of this episode. But I’m still ardent that the ending is utterly out of character for Gai and that reusing old costumes as new characters with zero changes is a bad idea. Expect the next part within the week. |
Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger Episode 26: Shushutto the Special
(Nice reference there, Gokaiger. But you’ll have to be offering a lot more than lip service to the shows you homage to be anywhere near as good as that movie) We continue where the last episode left off, with Ahim resolving the bullsh*t conflict by simply giving them the damn keys. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBPJwX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBPJ6X...jpg&name=small Elsewhere, Marvellous, Joe and Luka wake up in a dimension that looks a lot like a game show. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBPJ6X...jpg&name=small For those who can see what’s coming based on past knowledge, Junior appears to confirm their suspicions. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBPJ9X...jpg&name=small Meanwhile, Warz Gill is genre-savvy enough to suspect the others aren’t just going to sit this out and sends Insarn and Barizorg to deal with them. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBeh7X...jpg&name=small The Satarakura Quiz redux begins. But they’re not playing to get hints as to the location of the nuts. No, they’re playing to avoid being penalised (come on, your dad threatened to lower them into lava, Junior. You’re clearly not cut up for this evil entertainer gig). Even the prize isn’t all that special. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBehSX...jpg&name=small And whereas Satarakura went with difficult riddles, this guy goes with an identification round. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBeiXX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBeiyX...jpg&name=small They think this’ll be easy... https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBt6wX...jpg&name=small But it really isn’t. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBt5oX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBt7WW...jpg&name=small (Real Jigglypuff seen from above energy there) After the first penalty is given, the scene shifts outside for some reason (did the set fall apart?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wBt7uX...jpg&name=small Back on Earth, the Hayate Ninjas use their Ranger Keys to become the Hurricanegers once more. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wB7LPW...jpg&name=small They then use Chou Ninpo: Migake Kamon (I’ve no idea if that’s what they actually said) to enter the quiz dimension, leaving the Gokaigers at the mercy of Zangyack. In the quiz dimension, The Hurricanegers listen in on the quiz using Chou Ninpo: Jigoku Mimi. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wB7KkW...jpg&name=small They see that the Gokaigers aren’t even answering any of the questions, and getting constantly penalised. This spurs them to action. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wB7L3W...jpg&name=small As Luka is about to take her turn to fail, the Hurricanegers fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on what you think of the character) leap in to save the day. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wB7MdX...jpg&name=small But Junior soon forces them into the quiz by threatening to blow up the chestnuts he collected in the last episode (well then the plan is doomed to failure. He needs those nuts). Back on Earth, the remaining Gokaigers turn into a team where Red, Blue and Yellow are utterly unnecessary. (Or more cynically, Arakawa indulges in his never ending lust to make Dekaranger hip again) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCHNuW...jpg&name=small Back in the quiz dimension, the Hurricanegers learn that neither of the three captives knew that he was going to blow up the nuts. They just don’t care about answering his questions. To which Yosuke continues to say what every other legend in this show should’ve said to them. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCHOaX...jpg&name=small But, since they’re the only people that matter and and Arakawa and Utsusonmiya (the producer, whose name I have no idea how to spell) are never going to get rid of them, he’s predisposed to be lenient. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCHO5X...jpg&name=small Thus, he, Kouta and Nanami pose a challenge to Junior. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCHPeW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCRZlX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCRbUX...jpg&name=small (This brings up an interesting point. Up until now, the Zangyack have had zero interest in getting the Sentai Greater Powers that the Gokaigers are after. This is kind of a problem with Utsuusonmiya, since in all of the shows produced by him that I’ve seen (KR Wizard, Zyuohger and Lupinranger vs Patranger), none of the villains have had goals remotely relevant to the protagonists’ own goals. I haven’t seen ToQger, but I have no idea whether or not that one show is the exception to his style (and I doubt it is).) After giving him two easy questions, Yosuke asks a question where the answer is the sound effect to release the chains. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCRcEW...jpg&name=small The Hurricanegers recover the nuts and get the Gokaigers out as the dimension explodes. And just in time, as the other three are losing the battle. Ahim then asks Yosuke what he thinks of Marvellous now, and mercifully, his opinion hasn’t changed. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCRcpX...jpg&name=small But he has decided their good people (based on WHAT? They did f*ck all to help out back there. Rule 1 of basic storytelling: don’t make your guest characters more useful than the actual heroes). And then we have the two Sentai doing simultaneous transformations. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCfzaW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCfz5X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCf0rX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCf1WW...jpg&name=small After the roll call, the battle begins, with the Hurricaneger theme playing in instrumental (yeah, I hate that these theme reprises are all instrumentals. A lot of these songs do not work without the vocals and “Hurricaneger, Sanjou” is no exception. Thankfully, Gai provides partial lyrics). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCwepW...jpg&name=small After some solo moves, Kouta uses Chou Ninpo: Mai Jishi to even the odds, while Nanami combos with Luka and Ahim for the Triple Blast, Kouta and Joe swap weapons and Yosuke takes down a group of Gormin with Chou Ninpo: Kage no Mai (no way they would exclude that. They can exclude the Kasumi Bros and Shurikenger, but THAT (not to be confused with “that”) always finds a way to come back. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCwgVX...jpg&name=small After the matchups to take down villains begin, the 4 supporting males overpower Barizorg, while Nanami is able to defeat Insarn with her Sonic Megaphone, with the two deciding to withdraw. Marvellous then attacks Junior in his “giant head form” https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCwfeW...jpg&name=small Gai then turns into his Gold Mode (or, as I like to call it, his “glorified finisher form”) and then channels everyone’s energies into the Gokai Chou Ninpo: Hurricane Scramble (which in no way matches the theme naming of either team’s attacks, but what do I know?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wCwhLX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wC7F8X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wC7GkX...jpg&name=small Junior then uses his last breath to break the fourth wall. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wC7HgX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wC7IRW...jpg&name=small As the nuts return to being people, Warz Gill zaps Junior with the Maximiser (that’s not actually it’s name. It’s the name of the PR version. The Sentai version doesn’t have a name). The Hurricanegers return their keys to the Gokaigers and a giant battle begins. And it turns out unlike his father, Satarakura is plenty powerful on his own (quick, Gai. Crash GoJyuJin into him) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wDDGaX...jpg&name=small But with a nod from the Hurricanegers, the Hurricaneger and Gouraiger (when did the Kasumi Bros approve of them?) glow with the Greater Power of the Space Union Style (in the only footage of this episode used in Power Rangers). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wDDH7W...jpg&name=small This power turns out to be the new Furaimaru (Newraimaru?), who then proceeds to combine with GokaiOh https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wDDI9W...jpg&name=small Furaimaru: When Pirates and Ninja combine as one, the Shuriken equipment will be unrivalled under providence. HurricaneGokaiOh, on stage! (the original speech was cooler) Quote:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wDDKGW...jpg&name=small The fight resumes, with HurricaneGokaiOh having the advantage over Junior, with their new Shushutto Shuriken Chain and Gokai Mugensai Shuriken. They then separate Furaimaru so he can perform his Hissatsu Ougi: Midare-Sakura. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wDY0nX...jpg&name=small This defeats Junior for good. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wDY0ZX...jpg&name=small Back at the Gokai Galleon, Nanami and Kouta pose with Joe and Luka Gokai Changed into HurricaneBlue and HurricaneYellow (these gender-flipped costumes will never not be strange to me. I’d have preferred it if they changed according to roles in the dynamic rather than colour). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wDY0dW...jpg&name=small After Ahim cheats at the Jigoku Mimi using a pair of cat ears (why didn’t she just use the KuwagaRaiger key, since I assume it has the same powers? Come to think of it, why do these keys contain skills and powers, as opposed to just the latter), Gai ends the episode with a group photo of everyone. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1wDY0cW...jpg&name=small In the next instalment of our thread, he Gouraigers are bad guys? The calendar’s all strange? There’s a new female Earth Ninja? The answers to this in Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger, Season Tsuu episode 7: Delusional Spy. Final thoughts: As I said in my overview of the Gokaiger tribute episodes, it’s nice that they have this as a mini VS movie rather than just the standard Gokaiger formula (a guest star shows up, says some vague lesson, the Gokaigers change into his/her series’ Sentai, there’s a giant battle where they display a new power that may or may not be used again). But I’m a little put off by a lack of overt references to or appearances by the Gouraigers and Shurikenger, and how easy it was for the Gokaigers to win the three who did appear over. Overall, this episode is still pretty average for me. |
Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Season Tsuu, Episode 7: Delusional Spy
Okay, Akibaranger isn’t an official series and probably isn’t strictly necessary, but I got the idea to include it from someone who watched appropriate episodes at the end of his Sun Vulcan and Bioman rewatches. So, I’m doing the same. Now then, on to the summary of the premise. Out of universe, Akibaranger is a show aimed at older fans (its slogan is “good little kids don’t watch”), with a lot more sexual and fourth wall breaking humour as a result. That said, it still exists to sell toys, specifically Tamashi Nation products, such as the Super Hero Figuarts line of Super Sentai figures. Now for the in-universe stuff. "A tiny paradise amongst a sea of skyscrapers: Akihabara. There we find three warriors who believe pain is power and who fight battles that exist entirely in their heads. They are...Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger!" For more detail, I’ll add the recap this episode provides here. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E16zwhrW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E16zwhoX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E16zwh0X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E16zwh4X...jpg&name=small Characters Nobuo Akagi/AkibaRed: A 30-year old Sentai otaku who lives with his mother and works as a delivery boy. Luna Iwashimizu/AkibaBlue: An idol wannabe who joined the Akibarangers thinking they were a legitimate Sentai. When it turned out they weren’t, she refused to continue working unless they payed her regularly. She thinks she’s a Sentai expert, but compared to Akagi, she really isn’t. Yuko Yokoyama (nee Yamada)/AkibaYellow: A professional cosplayer who draws lewd fan manga for Sentai in her spare time. Allies Hiroyo Hakase: Manager of a Sentai nostalgia cafe known as Cafe Himitsukichi (secret base) that the Akibarangers are based out of. Unbeknownst to everyone, she is the voice of in-universe anime magical girl Z-Cune Aoi (under the pseudonym “Shori Toyozuki”, an anagram of her birth name, Hiroyo Tsuzuki). Kozkoz Mita: Hakase’s assistant who dresses up in a different Sentai costume every episode. Neo Dimensional Brain Reconstructive Underground True Empire of Baros lol Tsuu Shogun (Tsuu = pain, shogun = general): A Sentai villain fanboy, who has delusions of being a big bad (he even dresses as General Kar from Dynaman). He creates OC monsters based off past Sentai villain groups. Marushiina (a play on the copyright logo, which is pronounced in Japanese as “maru c”): A holdover from the previous season’s villain group, Blatantly Evil Marketing Firm B (shortened to “Sutema Otsu”), who was picked up by Tsuu Shogun. Able to totally disguise herself perfectly as anyone else, even down to the voice. And now, on with the review. Having discovered that his delusions are actually happening and affecting reality (he never left his man cave long enough to notice in previous episodes), Tsuu Shogun then draws an image of the Akibarangers based off Marushiina’s descriptions. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E16z9xwX...jpg&name=small In acknowledging that they aren’t the ultimate Sentai he wanted to defeat, Tsuu Shogun decides there must be someone else having delusions, but he’s going to defeat them all the same. We then cut to the opening in sequence, a three person song (a Triet?) sung by Halko, Gaoranger’s Yukio Yamagata and 80s Sentai singer MoJo. https://youtube.com/watch?v=g7aY2-7gl-Y And we then join our heroes, who are discussing what baros lol are after. They then get sidetracked by the appearance of a young girl dressed in an Angel costume with a bow and arrow. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E16z9yFX...jpg&name=small She then fires the arrows at several otakus, causing their otaku hearts to be removed, causing all of them to decide to get real jobs. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E16z9yfW...jpg&name=small When Akagi, Luna and Yuko confront her, she transforms into her true, monster form. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E16z9yxX...jpg&name=small Luna recognises the logo on her chest as the emblem of Hurricaneger’s bad guys, the “Jankajanka”. As Akagi corrects her, the Ninja Commander (who is voiced by someone that a certain someone on the forum may have something of a familiarity with) introduces herself as Jakanja’s 10 Dark Spear’s Tenth Spear. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160IWLX...jpg&name=small And Akagi assures you that I wasn’t making a typo with the name of the group. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160IXhW...jpg&name=small The trio Juu Mousou to fight Hadezukin in the forest (yeah, whenever they enter a delusion, the location changes). During the battle, a pair of shadows awaken, but Luna notes that this isn’t a good thing, as they also have the “Jankajanka” logo. Their introductions aren’t any less reassuring. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160IWhX...jpg&name=small “… Uchuu Ninja Uranused!” https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160IXAX...jpg&name=small “Uchuu Ninja, Poseidom!” (I’ll mention here that in this season, none of the Delusion Legend Sentai are voiced by their original actors. Ikkou is voiced by Tomikazu Seki (because he’s in everything), while Isshu is voiced by Takeshi Kusao (Trunks from Dragon Ball). Even someone as dumb as Luna can tell something is rotten in the state of Denmark. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160UgRX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160UhTX...jpg&name=small Hadezukin thus explains that she stole their hearts of justice and devoured them. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160Uh6X...jpg&name=small Marushiina then tells Tsuu Shogun that she studied up on the Jakanja and gave the Gouraigers new names to match the others (well she didn’t do a good job of it. The Spears are all named after Saxon god (aside from Satarakura, who gets his from a Roman god), while the names she chose are from several different mythologies). Tsuu Shogun tells her that that’s not why he turned them evil. He turned them evil because he wanted an evil Sentai team (you get the feeling he’s a fan of the wrong franchise?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160UigX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160w1LX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160w1vX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160w28X...jpg&name=small He reveals that he created a yellow member to get over his frustration at this (I’m guessing he also read Bhaumik’s pitch for Hexagon, since that had a female yellow added to the Gouraigers). Annoyed, Marushiina passes his notes onto Hadezukin, who passes them onto her brainwashed comrades. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160jTRW...jpg&name=small As the evil Gouraiger music kicks in, the three do their roll call. “JakanRed, KabutoRaiger!” “JakanBlue, KuwagaRaiger!” “JakanYellow, TentoRaiger!” (Tento = ladybug) All: “The Justice of Space is within us…” https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160jUaW...jpg&name=small (Ninchuu = portmanteau of ninja and konchuu (insect)) As Akagi and Yuko applaud this, the fight begins before the Akibaranger can do their roll call (Akagi was about to recommend Kakuranger as the best ninja series, the fiend). The Jakangers beat the stuffing out of the Akibarangers with little trouble, as Akagi asks why this is happening. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160jU8X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E160jVmX...jpg&name=small Akagi tries to appeal to the Gouraigers to remember, but it gets him nothing but a three-pronged beating, before all of his team are hit with Uchuu Ninpo: Final Crash. Luckily, Hiroyo calls for the delusion to be cancelled before they can die (for clarity, Hiroyo can cancel the delusion at any time, but this weakens the trio’s delusion power, so it’s only used as a last resort). Tsuu Shogun then calls Marushiina out for not holding back, since he wanted the Hurricanegers to appear. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1609fuW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1609guX...jpg&name=small Tsuu Shogun then notices his calendar changing midway through his rant. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1609hSW...jpg&name=small It’s happening to the Akibarangers at the Sentai cafe as well. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1609iLW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161P6qW...jpg&name=small Akagi knows why this is happening. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161P62W...jpg&name=small As he explains, the Seven Spears are named after days of the week (Sandaaru fro Sunday, Manmarva from Monday, Chuzoobo from Tuesday and so on). So with three new members representing the rest of the solar system (Pluto and Neptune are equivalents to Hades and Poseidon), the week has expanded to ten days. Luna is admiring this, until the others start pointing out the drawbacks. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161P69W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161P7AW...jpg&name=small Akagi is of coursed, distressed by this. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161lMvW...jpg&name=small (I’m pretty sure it would exist. It just wouldn’t be episode 37) Yuko and Luna are just as terrified for the wrong reasons. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161lOXX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161lOeW...jpg&name=small But that’s not the worst of it, as all three days are incredibly anti-otaku (Tsuu Shogun didn’t think this plan through, did he?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161lPbX...jpg&name=small Men from the Kyoto Protocol, which was established to erase otaku from the Earth (that exists, but it doesn’t do that. It’s an environmental law) take away all of Hiroyo’s exhibits. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161wtUW...jpg&name=small Akagi finds himself unable to sing “The Carefree Man’s Calisthenics” (which, while mentioned in Abaranger’s finale, I have no idea if that’s a real song). (Honestly, I think they could live with that one) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161wssW...jpg&name=small Yuko and Tsuu Shogun are both pursued by men in black suits, with the Akibarangers and the big bad both taking shelter in the same warehouse. And they don’t have the most tense meeting of the ages. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161wtyX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161wumX...jpg&name=small (To clarify, Akagi met Tsuu Shogun back in episode two at the karaoke bar, wherein the reality change was Dairanger being replaced as the 17th season with Akibaranger… which was cancelled after thirteen episodes due to low ratings and disastrous behind the scenes mishandling of the show). Akagi then says that this is where poison gas comes in through the air vents. Gas does come in, but thankfully, it’s not poisonous. Less thankfully, it’s Hadezukin, dressed in a suit for some reason. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161_hAX...jpg&name=small Tsuu Shogun is shocked to see TentoRaiger in the flesh, and even more shocked to find out that these three are the Akibarangers. He realises that since they’re using figurines of Z-Cune Aoi to enter the Delusion World, he can do the same with his own. The Akibarangers face the Jakangers once more, with Akagi and co trying to restore the Gouraigers’ hearts of justice through using Kakuranger techniques. It works about as well as you’d expect. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161_ilW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161_joX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E161_kSW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162K1EW...jpg&name=small (Nobody tell him about Ninja Storm) As Akagi ends up buried under rubble from a redirected attack, Tsuu Shogun enters the Delusion World and meets Marushiina in the flesh. And it’s not enough flesh for him. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162K2cW...jpg&name=small Akagi is shocked when Hadezukin refers to him as “Tsuu Shogun-sama.” https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162K3QX...jpg&name=small Before the Jakangers can finish off Luna and Yuko, a voice calls out and interrupts them by arriving with a whoosh. “That’s enough, Gouraiger!” https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162K4IX...jpg&name=small (Note that Yosuke and Kouta are voiced by the same guys as Ikkou and Isshu respectively. And despite Nao-chan being on the soundstage as Hadezukin, Nanami is voiced by Akiko Nakagawa (Bomper from Go-Onger). The Hurricanegers initiate a Chou Ninpo: Kage no Mai to defeat the Jakangers. But they have a counter (which also disrupts the music in the background) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162fL3W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162fNUX...jpg&name=small Luckily, Yuko is on hand with some arts supplies to give them more choices than regular Earth Ninpo. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162fOnW...jpg&name=small (Come on Luna, you remember Shurikenger for that? Not his various absurd disguises, or his habit of speaking English? Come on, get with it) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162fPQX...jpg&name=small Thus, Yosuke prepares to perform Shurikenger’s go to move. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162rgsX...jpg&name=small But, he’s unable to even hit the ball (some power up that was). But the Jakangers get distracted by Yuko and Luna rescuing Akagi from his predicament during the fight. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162rkdW...jpg&name=small This causes the Jakanja emblems to disappear, as Ikkou and Isshu regain their memories. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162rifX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E162rjZX...jpg&name=small They explain that seeing the Akibarangers working with tools reminded them of how they had to work construction jobs because they had no money. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1622u6W...jpg&name=small But before Tsuu Shogun can do anything, he gets pulled back into the real world by his delivery lady wanting him to sign a package. With the bad guys outnumbered, the heroes do their roll call. Yosuke: Ninpuu Sentai… https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1622wDX...jpg&name=small Yosuke: …haas arrived. Ikkou and Isshu: Dekousekka… https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1622xgX...jpg&name=small Ikkou and Isshu: …revealed! And now we come to the Akibaranger roll call, which is a little unusual in that it’s different in every episode (the only official series to do that is Zenkaiger). First, Akagi gives his recommendation for a random topic… https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E163D7rW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E167vfOW...jpg&name=small (Come on, that’s your recommendation? She comes between two characters I fell are way more deserving of that title.) Then Luna tries to go with Akagi’s role call… and fails miserably. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E163D-EW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E164Y5bX...jpg&name=small Then, while Akagi admonishes her, Yuko shares her adventures as a cosplayer. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E163dzEX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E168PzZW...jpg&name=small Before Akagi interrupts and concludes the roll call with everyone reacting to the explosion (this time, they’re set on fire) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E163dzDW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E163dzCX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1633uyW...jpg&name=small Hadezukin is out off by how unbalanced the fight is. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1633u7X...jpg&name=small But Yosuke shuts her up by reciting the formula. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1633utX...jpg&name=small The Earth Ninja then combine their energies into a new Outrageous Power (the gimmick for this show’s two seasons), the Hurricane Ball. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1633vOX...jpg&name=small Akagi throws this at Hadezukin, who, in case you’re not convinced she’s HurricaneBlue’s actress, dies quoting “Shinobi Koi”. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E164Gx7X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E164GyrX...jpg&name=small With her death, the calendar returns to normal and otakus return to reopened stores. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E164GyFX...jpg&name=small We then cut to a scene in the hospital, with a profiled nurse tending to an equally profiled patient (this will be important later on, just so you know). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E164GyWX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E164P2dW...jpg&name=small Back at the Sentai cafe, everyone is suitably worried by the reveals and what could be coming next. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E164P2gX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E164P2gX...jpg&name=small Sure enough, in his man cave, Tsuu Shogun has retooled TentoRaiger into his latest monster, who will menace the Akibarangers in the next episode “Delusional Beauty Fight”. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E164P2eX...jpg&name=small But for now, this episode ends with, as usual, a cover of a Sentai song, in this case, Shinken Matsuri. https://youtube.com/watch?v=T6Aeviy34NU Final thoughts: In general, this episode was frankly hilarious to watch from beginning to end. And I love the juxtaposition of HurricaneBlue, the sole female Hurricaneger, also being the voice behind the sole female Gouraiger. In the next instalment: After 10 years in the darkness, they’re back. Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger: 10 Years After. All: The Space Union Ninja School has returned. |
Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger: 10 Years After
I’ll clarify what exactly a 10 Years After movie is, since you should be familiar with the characters in the movie. It’s basically a movie that reunites the entire cast of the series from 10 years ago for a retrospective movie with a shoestring budget. How do they decide what gets such a movie? Well this video should answer that. https://youtube.com/watch?v=v8OIj5LzyQ8 So if anyone’s wondering if they’ll be a Gokaiger 10 Years After movie, so far, only the actors for Marvellous, Luka and Ahim have signed on, the last I heard. For the purposes of understanding this movie, I respectfully ask that you ignore everything I’ve covered beforehand in this thread as canon. With that said, let’s see where the Earth Ninjas go next with Miyashita and Watanabe back at the helm after so long. We begin with Kouta and Nanami giving a summary of recent (to them) events. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JqmOxX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JqmOwW...jpg&name=small We then cut to the present, as it turns out all the locations are foreign branches of the Space Union Ninja Way (why do they have foreign branches if there are only 5 active Earth Ninjas? Damn if I know). Nanami and Kouta have found the culprit and are moving to intercept him before he can hit the Japan branch. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JqmO1X...jpg&name=small The culprit then turns out to be a black Hurricaneger (or more accurately, a guy in a stereotypical ninja outfit with a repainted HurricaneRed helmet. They are on a budget after all), who is stopped by Nanami and Kouta before he can do any damage. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JqmO6X...jpg&name=small After knocking the others back with Hayate-Ryu Kengi: Shippu-Zan, the black Hurricaneger removes his suit to reveal Yosuke, who has adopted both a biker outfit and Sou Yaguruma’s outlook on life. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JrI3rW...jpg&name=small After the opening title screen, we cut to Nanami’s apartment, 10 hours earlier. While Kouta waits for Nanami to get out of the shower so he can tell her something important, her manager Hase discusses his latest attempts to get her an audition over the answering machine. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JrI31X...jpg&name=small He then states that the only offer he’s managed to get for her is a gig in a Koichi Sakamoto project (or what sounds like one). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JrI34W...jpg&name=small As a mysterious force eyes her Hurricane Gyro, Kouta gets a call from his kids, Suzune and Riku (don’t ask who the mother is. They don’t reveal it). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JrI38X...jpg&name=small He tells the two that he’ll be busy, before lamenting that he hasn’t told him of his life as a ninja (boy, I just hope evil never strikes on either of their birthdays). Nanami is then shocked as her Hurricane Gyro is stolen by a bat. After she manages to kick it down behind the sofa in a bath towel (I see she took that risqué job after all), separating it from its prize in the process, the bat transforms into a monster. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jrft9W...jpg&name=small After getting beaten by the new monster, he receives a report from his subordinate that something bad is happening (bad for them, that is. Which means that it must be good for our heroes). Kouta asks who he is, to which he introduces himself. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JrfuAW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JrfuFX...jpg&name=small Kouta realised that since he’s one of the Seven Dark Spears, he’s a Jakanja, to which Zero replies that he is and he isn’t (how is that possible), before leaving. As the two decide he must be after Yosuke as well, we cut to Ikkou, who has formed a boy band with Kazuyoshi Sakai (Better known as Sotaro Ushigome/GaoBlack) and Ryohei Odai (Better known as Shuichi Kitaoka/Kamen Rider Zolda) along with a few others. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JrfuFX...jpg&name=small But there’s one member missing, and for very good reasons. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jr2OzX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jr2O3W...jpg&name=small (If you don’t get the joke, Yusuke Tomoi is better known as Ryu Ashihara/Kamen Rider Gills) The band then perform their latest hit “Shinobi Ai” (named deliberately as the opposite of “Shinobi Koi”, a recurring song from the original series). https://youtube.com/watch?v=NafsXC4Qgi8 Almost immediately as soon as the song is over, they get a heckler. And a familiar one at that. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jr2O-X...jpg&name=small Isshu is annoyed that after 10 years, this is what Ikkou has chosen to do with his life. But it turns out there are people who appreciate Ikkou’s unique brand of music (the lady who was visible in profile throughout the previous video). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jr2PEX...jpg&name=small While Ikkou is happy to have someone who appreciates his art, Isshu is suspicious. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JsUtgW...jpg&name=small They then get attacked by the Black Hurricaneger, just as Nanami and Kouta reach Yosuke’s office (he’s gone up in the world from window-cleaning, that also somehow entails selling cookies, doing construction work and helping out at a chicken restaurant. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JsUtjW...jpg&name=small Once inside they find an empty office, which not only has the floor plans for the Space Union Ninja branches that got bombed recently, but a down turned picture of the goo old days. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JsUtnX...jpg&name=small As they realise that the Japan branch is next, a creepy kid appears at the door (whose actor previously played an equally creepy kid in a Go-Busters episode) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JsUtrX...jpg&name=small Back at the club, the black Hurricaneger uses an attack to relieve the Kasumi Bros of their Shinobi Medals. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JsvYdX...jpg&name=small Both recognise the attack at the Kabuto Raigekiha, which only Ikkou and one other person know. Rumbled, Yosuke tosses the Shinobi Medals to the woman, who turns out to be Furabijo. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JsvYrW...jpg&name=small Back with Nanami and Kouta, that kid turns out to not quite be free of Messiah, as he declares that heroes will be destroyed, only to change tact and beg for Yosuke’s help, before the door closes. When the two open it, the kid is gone. No, he’s not a ghost, he’s merely projecting himself from a hidden base, where Wendinu is struggling to keep him in check as Furabijo returns with her prize. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JsvZPX...jpg&name=small Zero then returns and has the Gouraiger medals placed in slots on the podium, which manage to knock the boy out. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JsvYiW...jpg&name=small Zero then reveals that he plans to collect all 6 Shinobi Medals used by the Hurricanegers, Gouraigers and Shurikenger, in order to awaken “it”, a plan which his two minions point out the derivative-ness of. Wendinu: “It”? Furabijo: Not “that”? Back to the present, Yosuke is subdued by his former allies and taken to the Space Union Ninja Style headquarters for an inquiry. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JtOrLX...jpg&name=small After the door is opened, the two bring Yosuke before an easily identifiable, not that well hidden judge (though I will keep their identity a secret until it was supposed to be a reveal, I will say they could’ve put them in a cloak and disguised their voice), who states the rules for the accused and his associates. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JtOrPX...jpg&name=small As Yosuke refuses to defend himself or even say anything, Oboro and Mugensai appear to speak on his behalf. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JtOrSW...jpg&name=small As Kouta shares that they were attacked by a Jakanja who was after their Shinobi Medals, who Yosuke admits to being involved with, it turns out that Zero snuck in by hiding on Yosuke’s back in his bat form. Mugensai recognises his pose and reveals Zero’s origin. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JtOraX...jpg&name=small And he was the most skilled member of the Space Union Ninja Style (which makes me wonder when his defection to Jakanja took place, given that the Space Union Style was only founded as Jakanja was being destroyed and it only had a handful of students to begin with. Not to mention how he became a bat monster). Zero then reveals how he infiltrated the building and goes for his prize. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jty8gW...jpg&name=small He then has Yosuke get the last Medal from behind the judge’s curtain, at which point our characters see her face for the first time. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jty8sW...jpg&name=small Everyone mistakes her for Kagura, who died when Sandaaru removed the Dark Stone from her body (and indeed, she’s played by the same actress). But Oboro clarifies that she’s actually just a relative (they don’t say how she’s related, or what she was doing before they presumably shanghaied her into the role of her ancestor to whom she bore an uncanny resemblance). This doesn’t stop Yosuke from getting what he came for: the Shinobi medal of the late Shurikenger. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jty8mX...jpg&name=small Zero then reveals that his plan is to give birth to the Sacred Will, and Yosuke reveals his stake in this. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jty8vW...jpg&name=small But Zero tricks him with a hologram of Tenkai (the boy from earlier) and leaves, stating that “promises are made to be broken”. Our three Hurricanegers then retreat to Shinobi Valley, where they air their problems over sharing an apple (apparently, they haven’t been taking to each other much since they defeated Jakanja). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J0aBKX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J0aBMX...jpg&name=small They then think back on the good old days, such as their first time as the Hurricanegers, the time Yosuke went off on his own against Jishakumo, Isshu tanking Choopid’s arrows through his love for Nanami and their preparations to stop the Evil Will’s new universe being born (that must be the most random happy times montage ever). Yosuke then explains what the Sacred Will is, beginning at the end. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J0aBPW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J0aBlW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J06VQW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J06UHX...jpg&name=small This force was the Sacred Will, which took the form of a boy named Tenkai, who Yosuke met and adopted during his travels around the world, six months ago. Then Tenkai was captured by Zero, who revealed the truth via Ankoku Chou Ninpo: Gyakai Junen. Yosuke worked with Zero in an attempt to save Tenkai from the Sacred Will, which Mugensai reveals is far more powerful than the Evil Will and has no guarantee of being used for good. Yosuke then leaves, intending to make things right by stopping Zero on his own, due to his friends having their own lives, while he considers himself expendable. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J06WcX...jpg&name=small Ikkou then points out that Yosuke isn’t the only one who’s felt like lashing out of the world because of their circumstances. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J06XwX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J1RyqX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J1RzkX...jpg&name=small He then recalls how Yosuke risked his life to save Ikkou’s. Ikkou theorises that Yosuke wanted their help in saving Tenkai, which is why he revealed himself back then. It’s at this point the last member of the party joins. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J1R0zX...jpg&name=small Isshu reveals that he worked out that Zero is going to awaken the Sacred Will in Shinobi Valley and that he took the liberty of putting a homing device on his Shinobi Medal to save time. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J1R2BX...jpg&name=small As Ikkou points out that the odds are against them, since they can’t Shinobi Change without their medals, Yosuke merely says something to the effect of “I like those odds”, before throwing off his leather outfit for his normal uniform. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J1pNrX...jpg&name=small Yosuke then cements the return of the Hurricane-Gourai Alliance with a circle of friendship. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J1pP1X...jpg&name=small As they run through the valley, Zero decides to accelerate his ritual. But before he can insert the Shurikenger Medal, the heroes find the portal and enter it. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J1pO0X...jpg&name=small As Nanami and Kouta are surprised to see Furabijo and Wendinu are alive (no, they don’t explain that), Yosuke tries appealing to Tenkai to fight this and beat himself to become better. Despite some lightning being shot out, Tenkai wins out, deciding not to be evil and destroys the sub space. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J1pRCX...jpg&name=small But this doesn’t deter Zero in the slightest. He just summons the Magerappas to grab the boy and try the ritual again. But Tenkai affirms that he won’t be a force for evil, he’ll be like Yosuke and his friends. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JvpqvW...jpg&name=small Punching his way through the Magerappas, he grabs the Shurikenger Medal, turning it into a new Shuriken Ball through sheer willpower. And to cement that he’s a new hero, he does an original pose. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jvpq4X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J4S32X...jpg&name=small As everyone is shocked at this, Tenkai takes the medals back from Zero with an empty costume trick, leading to a group change with a unique effect that summons up a hurricane. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JvprBX...jpg&name=small Partway through the transformation, everyone stops to do a roll call. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JwKLgX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J4akSW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JwKbRX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J4alyX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jwtm7W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JwtnAX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JwtnLW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JwtnYX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JxMQ0W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JxMRBX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JxMQ8W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JxMRBX...jpg&name=small Tenkai: I am the ninja among ninja. The green light bullet. Tenkuu Ninja, Shurikenger, has arrived. All: The Space Union Ninja Style has returned. Zero summons an army of Magerappas, as the transformations are completed and the fight begins in earnest. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J4ldzW...jpg&name=small But what starts as a straight fight soon degenerates into being bizarre. First off, Nanami shows up dressed as a Jidai Geki heroine to fight Furabijo, which she wins. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J4le7W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J4lgqX...jpg&name=small Kouta then dresses as Ryouma Sakamoto for some reason and defeats Wendinu in a gunfight. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J4lhKW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JyOxWW...jpg&name=small Yosuke then defeats a group of Magerappas dressed as a ronin, while singing an a Capella rendition of “Hurricaneger Sanjou”. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JyOxZW...jpg&name=small And the Kasumi Bros… well I had a video I wanted to use, but I couldn’t find it, so I’ll let your imagination fill in the details based on these pictures (and they are saying these in the proudest Shurikenger tradition). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2LKuW7W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2LKuW_X...jpg&name=small With the Magerappa army wiped out, Furabijo and Wendinu hightail it out of there. Yosuke and Tenkai then face Zero, who splits himself into a pair of identical old men (his human form?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JyOxeW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JyOx9X...jpg&name=small But the two clones are defeated easily, before Tenkai assumes his Fire Mode and has Yosuke join him in attacking Zero with Double Bunshin Magyuu. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jy0jVX...jpg&name=small As Zero goes off on a rant about his ambition to reset the planet Earth and get rid of all humans (which would explain why he became a bat monster, but not how). At which point all six heroes attack him with Chou Ninpo: Rokunin Kage no Mai. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2Jy01lX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J441rW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J442tW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JzYxDX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JzYyPW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JzYyVX...jpg&name=small They then combine the Dry Gun, the Sonic Megaphone, the Quake Hammer, the Horn Breaker, the Stag Breaker and the Ninjamisen into a new weapon. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2JzYyaX...jpg&name=small They then blast Zero with the 10 Years After attack, vanquishing him (though not for good, as you’ll see). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J0CE7X...jpg&name=small As everyone celebrates the victory, Oboro points out that since Yosuke was their pupil, the Hinatas have to pay for the damages he caused to the foreign branches. To which Mugensai transforms into Hamster Headmaster (mispronouncing his spell again, I presume). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J0B10X...jpg&name=small As the credits roll, everyone discusses their plans. Namely, in addition to training successors, Nanami will aim to be an actress, Kouta will tell his kids the truth, Ikkou will continue as part of JUNretsu and Isshu offers to join the band, since “it would net them more fans”, much to Ikkou’s chagrin. Uchuu Ninja File: Jakanja Seven Dark Spears’ Zero Spear, Bat Ze Rhumba. Did you know? Rhumba appears once every ten years. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J0B13W...jpg&name=small I guess I’ve got something to revive this thread with one day. Final thoughts: The movie works as a character piece, with the action mostly being dressing. The worst I can say is that a lot of stuff goes unexplained, but that’s mostly nitpicking. And rather than tell you where we’re going next, I’ll show you. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2J0B1-X...jpg&name=small |
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Shuriken Sentai Ninninger Shinobi 7: Spring Ninja Festival
"To earn the title of 'Last Ninja', his five grandchildren carry on his will. Their enemy: the strongest Sengoku general, Kibaoni Gengetsu. The current young ninjas are the Shinobi that don't hide!" The characters Takaharu Igasaki/AkaNinger: “A Splendid Rampage”. One of Yoshitaka Igasaki's successors, Takaharu was one of his grandchildren chosen to become the Ninninger, even the first one to use its powers. While on his way to his family's dojo, an army of Hitokarage destroyed it, with Takaharu transformed for the first time as AkaNinger and eliminate them. After reuniting with the other Ninninger candidates, Tsumuji Igasaki, his father leads them to Gengetsu Kibaoni's resting place, which was sealed by Yoshitaka until the Sealing Shuriken were released by the revived Gengetsu and wandered off to various part of the city. After the Ninningers destroy Youkai Kamaitachi, it grew large and they received five OtominNin Shuriken, which they used to form Shurikenjin and finished the Youkai. Yoshitaka revealed himself to be much alive, but lectured them for their inexperience and lead them to the new dojo that they will use as their new base. Over time, Takaharu becomes his team's leader, as they face many more Youkai and tried to reclaim their grandfather's 48 Sealing Shuriken while trying to inherit the Last Ninja title. Takaharu is the type that acts before thinking. He acts like a big brother, trying to pull everyone together, sometimes unsuccessfully. His caring nature makes him draw the shortest straw most of the time, but even then, he is an optimist who believes everything will be alright. Yakumo Kato/AoNinger: “The Roaring Cloud”. Takaharu’s cousin who spent his time in England, learning magic from a special school. He’s spent so much time there he now considers himself an Englishman and has picked up a habit of saying “Easy, isn’t it?” as a catchphrase. Yakumo has lived most of his life abroad and was learning European magic in England when he was called back. He is the rich boy type with a cool demeanor and somewhat presumptuous. In contrast, however, he has a quick temper and can be a bit of a bonehead at times. Out of his cousins/Ninningers, Yakumo is a quick-learner and can master ninjutsu more quickly than the others, claiming it easier than magic. Yakumo at first had no interest in Ninjutsu, claiming it easier than magic training. This was however until when he was lectured by Takaharu/AkaNinger and had developed a rivalry with him, he decided to compete with the others to inherit his grandfather's title as the Last Ninja. Nagi Matsuo/KiNinger: “The Dazzling Calm”. Another cousin who is a high school student. His main character trait is helping others in need. Nagi is a very friendly young man. He may seem to not be thinking of anything but is actually very observant and street smart. He is obsessed with getting licences and certifications for different things to make good use of. Knowing of his grandfather's title as the Last Ninja, he decided to compete against his teammates to inherit it, thinking the title would help him in looking for jobs. Fuuka Igasaki/ShiroNinger: “A Petal Blowing in the Wind”. Takaharu’s younger sister, who is still in high school. Unlike the rest of her family, she would very much like to pretend she is not a ninja… probably because of all the abuse she takes on the job (though she still gets some off the job). A pure, optimistic and hard working young girl. Fuuka is Takaharu’s younger sister and her reliability may be the product of growing up with a fireball like Takaharu. She is jolly most of the time but when something saddens her, it is very deeply. Kasumi Momochi/MomoNinger: “The Wavering Mist”. The last of the 5 cousins competing for the Last Ninja title. Kasumi’s field is science and experimentation, often coming up with plans that could hurt someone if they go wrong… which is why all of them are tested on Fuuka. Kasumi is a very reserved girl with something of a genius in her. She loves science and is very astute with mechanics, but she is unable to read between lines or take a hint. Hence there are times in which, in spite of her looks, she can be really sharp-tongued. At the same time, deep within her there are some very girly aspects she seldom shows. Inspired by her grandfather's ability to communicate with aliens, she dreams of becoming an astronaut. Allies: Yoshitaka Igasaki: The legendary Last Ninja, who was active 444 years ago. Among his feats are making first contact with extraterrestrial life and defeating the Kibaoni Yokai Army all those years ago. With Kibaoni’s revival imanent, he created the NinShurikens and OtomoNin for his grandchildren to use both to defeat the Yokai threat and to compete to succeed him as the Last Ninja. Tsumuji Igasaki: Takaharu and Fuukas’ father, who never learned ninjutsu. So of course, Yoshitaka put him in charge of teaching the next generation the ways of Shuriken Ninpo. Is basically an older and wiser version of Takaharu in personality. Other Sentai heroes Sasuke/NinjaRed: The 24th descendant of Sarutobi Sasuke, who, along with 5 other legendary ninjas, sealed away the Yokai Army Corps (no relation to Kibaoni’s). In 1994, their descendants formed the Ninja Sentai Kakuranger to prevent the return of the Yokai from destroying the world. Tsuyoshi Kaijo/Akarenger: A soldier for EAGLE (EArth Guard LEague), who was the sole survivor of the destruction of the Kaito base at the hands of Kurojuji Army’s Ōgon Kamen. He and EAGLE’s chief this gathered the survivors of EAGLE’s other branches into HimitsuSentaiGorenger Sentai Gorenger, Earth’s first Super Sentai warriors(in terms of chronicle. Choriki Sentai Ohranger’s KingRanger is the first in history). Kibaoni Yokai Army Corps. Kyuemon Izayoi: The retainer of Kibaoni, who now seeks to revive him by turning the 48 Sealing Shuriken that imprisoned him into Yokai to collect grief. He also has mastery of Izayoi style Yojutsu, a similar style to Igasaki style Ninpo, which he uses to enlarge defeated Yokai and to create a gigantic, barely sentient Yokai known as a Gashadokuro, though he uses a hammer rather than a sword to perform these techniques. He has an (currently) unknown history with Yoshitaka, who he believes to be carrying the “Owari no Shuriken”(Shuriken of the End, often rendered as End Shuriken in English), which he needs for an unknown purpose. Raizo Gabi: the Spearhead of the Kibaoni army, who possesses a fierce hatred of the Igasaki Ninja and a lust for power. The first of the army’s leaders to be resurrected in the modern day, he cares little for the goal of reviving the master, instead focusing on defeating AkaNinger, the only Igasaki ninja who can match him in combat. He only goes along with Kyuemon’s orders because the Ninningers are after the Sealing Shurikens, which he can use as an excuse to have the fight he’s looking for. Hitokarage: The footsoldiers for the Kibaoni Corps. A lot of fans hate Ninninger. I am not one of them. This episode actually has another name you won’t be familiar with if you only follow my threads to know who’s who in Sentai writers. Namely, Kento Shimoyama. He was a staff writer on Sentai from Shinkenger through Go-Busters, before moving on to do the Kikaider REBOOT movie, before doing this show. After this, he stayed on as a staff writer through Zyuohger and Kyuranger, before jumping ship to Kamen Rider to write Zi-O. And since that, he hasn’t done much Tokusatsu related (though reportedly, he is in talks to do Zi-O’s novel). With all that said, on with the review. The episode opens with the 5 Ninningers pushing themselves harder than normal, which Tsumuji notes. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNV2hX...jpg&name=small Yakumo explains that it’s because of how badly everyone was defeated by Gabi in the last episode. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNV2nW...jpg&name=small As Takaharu defeats Nagi handily (which was ironically, what they were trying to prevent in order to get stronger. Guess the training isn’t going well), and Kasumi gets the better of Fuuka, Fuuka tries to work up the courage to thank him for saving her life in the last episode… and fails miserably (man, this just isn’t her day). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNV2xX...jpg&name=small Tsumuji stops the training as Yakumo beats up Nagi (it isn’t his day either) to give a speech about how Fuuka getting kidnapped last time made him realise how helpless he was, not knowing ninjutsu like they do. So that’s why he’s called in a pair of special teachers in to help them improve. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNV2wW...jpg&name=small The titles then commence and our usual narration gets replaced with one explaining why two legendary Sentai are showing up in what is ostensibly not another Gokaiger. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNbrGW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNbrUX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNbreX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNbrtX...jpg&name=small (This was supposed to air on the direct anniversary, but due to ToQger’s penultimate episode being preempted for coverage of a murder, it was pushed back and aired a week later). We then cut to the titles and the absolute banger that is “Saa Ike, Ninninger!” https://youtube.com/watch?v=eB1hfsyEao4 As the episode resumes, the two new teachers introduce themselves. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNlv3X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNlv6X...jpg&name=small As the students bow in deference, Sasuke asks them to consider something before training begins. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNlv4X...jpg&name=small Takaharu answers this as “one who doesn’t give in to fear or worries, or takes things lightly.” Yosuke then chimes in with my opinion on some callbacks that aren’t entirely right. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNlxKW...jpg&name=small Sasuke and Yosuke then give their own ideas of what a ninja is (read: their team’s mottos). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNvsKX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNvsIX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNw09W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZNw08X...jpg&name=small They then make it clear that this isn’t so much a lesson, as it is an intervention related to the Ninninger motto “We are shinobi, but we do not hide”. (Which producer Naomi Takebe said in interviews she deliberately chose as the Ninninger motto because it was the opposite of Kakuranger’s, so to show these were a new breed of ninja for the 21st Century) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZN7_0W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZN7_7X...jpg&name=small We then cut away from the “it was better in my day” stuff to the training, with the two legends during it out in front of the kids. Sasuke uses his Wakemi no Jutsu. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZN80VX...jpg&name=small Yosuke then counters with Chou Ninpo: Soragake. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZN80yX...jpg&name=small The fight then ends with the lesson plan for today. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOCg5X...jpg&name=small Despite Fuuka’s protests, everyone breaks into groups and tries it. But Fuuka’s worries prove correct when her own Shuriken Ninpo: Bunshin no Jutsu goes awry. (Though it’s not seen here, Kasumi’s falls apart immediately afterwards) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOCg6X...jpg&name=small As Nagi proves unable to do better than a Migawari no Jutsu (using a scarecrow as a double to fool your enemies. For reference, he was trying the Bunshin no Jutsu), Yakumo seems to have mastered the Soragake no Jutsu. Or so it seems. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOChOW...jpg&name=small Finally, Takaharu gets knocked out of his transformation by Sasuke before he can do a Migawari no Jutsu. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOChPW...jpg&name=small At the Kibaoni headquarters (I think it’s a mansion, but I’m not sure), Kyuemon sends Gabi to recover from his injuries sustained in the last episode (wherein Taka beat him up and cut off one of his horns). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOMz9X...jpg&name=small He agrees reluctantly, but leaves one request behind for when he returns (which’ll be two episodes from now). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOMz8X...jpg&name=small Kyuemon then remembers Yoshitaka telling him that the Owari no Shuriken was not in his position, which he disbelieves, having seen it in his possession before (this’ll be expended upon in a few episodes). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOMz9W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOM0BX...jpg&name=small Back at the Igasaki dojo, everyone receives their scores for the day. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOY4qX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOY5rX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOY6iW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOY7kX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOg27X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOg3BX...jpg&name=small Yosuke and Sasuke then make it clear they think all of them are fairly bad at being ninjas, but Takaharu in particular is someone they’re surprised is even still alive (to be fair, he is an idiot and none of the monsters so far do much actual fighting). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOg31W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZOg4SX...jpg&name=small Takaharu says that it sounds fun, which just confuses the two. Takaharu: I’m counting on you two for stronger training. This is hot. I’m on fiiire!” As the two legend ninjas shoot each other confused looks, a Sealing Shuriken finds its way to a stopwatch, creating the Yokai Nekomata (despite what the caption is translated as, that is not a subtitle. That’s the literal translation of Nekomata). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZO14DW...jpg&name=small As the Yokai alert sounds in the dojo, Sasuke stops Takaharu from leaving, despite everyone’s glowing testimony, using his On Saru Nin technique to freeze him, before Yosuke binds him with Chou Ninpo: Jizai Nawa (wasn’t that one of Sandaaru’s techniques?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZO103X...jpg&name=small As Nekomata uses his power to send things backwards in time, Kyuemon finds him and gets an idea. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZO106W...jpg&name=small He entrusts Nekomata with locating the Owari no Shuriken from the point in time where Kyuemon last saw it, ten years ago. As the Ninjas show up to face him, and Takaharu escapes the ropes with his teeth, Kyuemon stops the Ninningers with Yojutsu: Ikazuchi Shourai no Jutsu (which sadly, does not summon the Gouraigers, despite the name). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZO11qX...jpg&name=small Nekomata thus uses this opening to blast everyone out of their suits and open a doorway to time, allowing him to go back to the past. Takaharu shows up and runs into the door just as it closes. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZO_WdW...jpg&name=small Yosuke and Sasuke thus lament that they failed. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZO_YHX...jpg&name=small They explain to the others that Taka and the Yokai went back in time ten years, explains why they decided to train the Ninningers today, rather than before. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZO_Y4X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZO_Z8X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPIfEX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPIZ1X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPIa5W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPIcYX...jpg&name=small To help out his newcomer, Yosuke initiated Ryuuha Choetsu: Kage no Mai. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPVE2X...jpg&name=small But Nekomata had what he’d come for and opened a doorway of time to return to the future. When Takaharu tried to stop him, he was blown to pieces by an attack from Nekomata. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPVGfX...jpg&name=small All that remained was his burnt out score sheet he’d received earlier. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPVI9X...jpg&name=small They came to train the Ninningers to try and help Takaharu save himself from death. But they failed. And Fuuka has a sobering realisation. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPVJ4W...jpg&name=small But Yakumo refuses to believe the Takaharu is dead, because that would mean that he died before Yakumo could become the better ninja. (I see he’s in stage one of grief) Nekomata then returns and hands off the box he recovered to a Hitokarage who takes it away. Before he can attack them, Takaharu appears and kicks him from behind (“Don’t kill me off” is practically his family motto, after all). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPygLX...jpg&name=small He explains that he made the Yokai think he was dead with a Migawari no Jutsu and then crawled after it through the doorway. Sasuke is sceptical though. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPygNW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPygRX...jpg&name=small Everyone then shows a remarkable amount of faith that he was alive the whole time (where was this faith when he was seemingly dead) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZPygWW...jpg&name=small As Nekomata recovers, everyone prepare for battle with the obligatory transformation scene. Ninningers: Shuriken Henge! Sasuke: Super Henge, Doron Changer! Yosuke: Ninpuu, Shinobi Change! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQGUuW...jpg&name=small And then, it’s roll call time. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQGUyX...jpg&name=small Sasuke: Ninja Red, Sasuke! Yosuke: The winds cry, the sky rages! Sky Ninja, HurricaneRed! Takaharu: The Splendid Rampage, AkaNinger! Yakumo: The Roaring Cloud, AoNinger! Nagi: The Dazzling Calm, KiNinger! Fuuka: A Petal Blowing in the Wind, ShiroNinger! Kasumi: The Wavering Mist, MomoNinger! Takaharu: We are Shinobi, but we do not hide… Ninningers: Shuriken Sentai Ninninger! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQGU4X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQGVBX...jpg&name=small A fight then begins. Takaharu: Instead of hiding, we rampage! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQXQqX...jpg&name=small The Ninninger face down Nekomata, who gives them some slight trouble before they get the better of him through the aid of the Legend Ninjas, who invite Takaharu to join them, after Sasuke blasts Nekomata with On Saru Nin: Kaen Tsumuji no Jutsu and Yosuke hits him with Chou Ninpo: Ranbu San-Juu Shou (that technique that was crucial to victory in the first two Sakai episodes of Hurricaneger. I finally learned how to spell it). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQXRHW...jpg&name=small After Nekomata finds his techniques have no effect on the now, more powerful Ninjas, who all hit him with their most powerful sword techniques. Sasuke: Kakure-Ryu: Mangetsu Giri! Yosuke: Uchuu Toitsu Ninja-Ryu Kengi: Shippu Zan! (Nice nod, but in the 10 Years After, it was still Hayate-Ryu Kengi.) Takaharu: Nin Retsu Zan! As Nekomata dies from this, the two Legends give their one-liners. Yosuke: Say bye bye! Sasuke: Praise Buddha. Then Takaharu feels his ass burning, which means there’s a new NinShuriken incoming. This time, there’s two, based off Kakuranger and Hurricaneger. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQXRQX...jpg&name=small The team collectively realises what this means. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQXRTW...jpg&name=small Elsewhere, Kyuemon opens the box… only to find that it’s not the Owari no Shuriken inside. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQoJMX...jpg&name=small He then throws it away in disgust, much to Sasuke’s hilarious consternation. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQoNzW...jpg&name=small Kyuemon leaves them for today, summoning a Gashdokuro as he does so via Gashadokuro Shokan no Jutsu. The Ninningers has summon their 5 OtomoNin, Shinobimaru, Dragomaru, Dumpmaru, Wanmaru and Byunmaru, combing them into Shuriken Gattai Shurikenjin. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SrylaxEv2MA When the Gashadokuro proves much more powerful than the first one they faced, they get advice from Sasuke to use their new Waza NinShurikens to turn the tide. https://youtube.com/watch?v=f7I6Lr0xN04 First, they use Shuriken Ninpo: Kakure no Jutsu to replicate Shurikenjin for a four-pronged attack. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQoN6X...jpg&name=small Takaharu then has Shinobimaru attack close up using Shuriken Ninpo: Hurricane no Jutsu. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQoOmW...jpg&name=small They then destroy the Gashadokuro with Shurikenjin’s Appare Giri (Splendid Cut). They then find neither a hide nor hair of Sasuke or Yosuke. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQ1KJX...jpg&name=small Fuuka then decides to thank Taka at long last, saying that it’s whatever when he doesn’t remember what she’s thanking him for. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQ1K9X...jpg&name=small From afar, Sasuke and Yosuke observe the Ninningers, realising there’s a merit to the “shinobi who don’t hide” thing. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQ1LgX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZQ1LaW...jpg&name=small Then Akarenger and Yoshitaka showing up, with the former pointing out that for all their mottos about being in the shadows, they were much the same in the hiding record (well, Sasuke was. Yosuke’s support crew included memory wiping robots). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZRD-xX...jpg&name=small The episode then ends with a discussion between Yoshitaka and Akarenger, as the Ninningers go home, unaware of this. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZRD_bW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZREANX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ZREDBX...jpg&name=small In my next instalment, the Ninningers recap their past battles with the help of another legend, but things don’t quite go as planned. This and more in “Shinobi 43: The Legendary Ninja! Yokai Karuta Tactics!” Final thoughts: A fairly good display of the idea that the new generation, while they might not be doing things the way it was done in your day, can in fact produce results that are just as good, if not more. Or as a wise man once put it “tradition sucks”. And we get a monster with a unique gimmick on top of that (even if I did think there was slightly more that could be done with it, especially in an anniversary episode, but I’ll let that slide). |
Shinobi 43: The Legendary Ninja! Yokai Karuta Tactics
Okay, there’s been sone changes to Ninninger’s status quo since last time, so I’ll start by recapping those. New Characters: Kinji Takigawa/StarNinger: “The Colourful Star”. An American from a long line of Yokai-hunting cowboys (no, really), whose family was murdered by the Western Yokai Ookami Otoko (wolf man). He idolises the Last Ninja and purchased the gear needed to become a student of Igasaki-Ryu Shuriken Ninpo, which he became after many arduous tests. Kinji bears a likeness to Takaharu, since both are fans of Yoshitaka Igasaki and wishes to follow his path as the Last Ninja. Due to this, he labels himself with the title of Youkai Hunter, hunting Youkai to become stronger. Ever since he learned of Yoshitaka being a Ninja, Kinji displays fanaticism over things related to ninjas and Youkai, even likes to take pictures and footprints of any Youkai he comes across with. Kinji himself is naive, having following others' orders and quickly apologizes should he had made a mistake, even tends to leave his opponents alone if they were busy with their situations. After bonding with Yakumo Katou/AoNinger, Kinji's partnership with the magic ninja, who learned the art of magic at a school in England, is jokingly referred to by the other Ninningers as the Western Combo (欧米コンビ Ōbei Konbi, Western Combi), coined by Kasumi, referring to the special relationship between the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Shishi-Oh/Lion Haoh Jou (Lion Supreme King Castle): The legendary Flying OtomoNin, who was the only one Yoshitaka was unable to control. The final test for Kinji to be taken in as a student was to accomplish that task, which they did by appealing to his love of rampaging. He can take on the form of the Chozetsu NinShuriken, allowing any Ninninger he deems worthy to “Chozetsu Henge” into an armoured form that uses his power (though Kasumi prefers to use him solely for attacks, since the armour clashes with her speed-based fighting style). The Committee to Protect Ninja Honour: A group composed of experienced ninjas from around the world, set up to prevent the public from seeing Ninjas as their enemies following the attacks by the Izayoi-Ryu Ninjas and the Karakuri Kyubey constructed from their Core Gears. Their president is Toha Yamaji/Sekai SenNin Jiraiya. Masakage Tsuguomori: Gengetsu Kibaoni’s retainer, who took charge of the Kibaoni Army following the death of Raizo Gabi and took charge of the monster growing hammer after Kyuemon’s defeat at the hands of Gekiatsu Dai-Oh. Capable of surviving explosions that would kill a being of his size. Ariake no Kata: Gengetsu’s shrill harpy of a wife who treats everyone equally horribly. She steals large amounts of the fear energy that’s already been gathered both to preserve her vanity and to help her give birth to her son Mangetsu (who she dotes after, despite him arguably being the one person deserving of her abuse). Takaharu can never remember her name, much to her chagrin. New reveals about old characters Tsumuji Igasaki: Turns out that in his teenage years, he was actually a prodigy ninja known as “Chou Ninja Tsumuji”, who specialised in wind based techniques (Tsumuji = cyclone), before his powers were taken by his fellow student, along with his memory of ever having powers. Kyuemon Izayoi: Turns out he was once a student of Yoshitaka during his teenage years, alongside Tsumuji. But he left when he realised the Last Ninja didn’t trust him and stole his fellow student’s Nintality (the energy that makes you a Ninja), converting it into the source of his Izayoi-Ryu Yojutsu, which he shared among 5 of Kibaoni’s ninjas, allowing them to use a variant of Shuriken Ninpo. It also turns out that he’s the first born son of Gengetsu Kibaoni, which explains a lot about his dedication. This episode is written by another new name, Nobuhiro Mouri, who’s previous writers credits include several episodes of OOO, Go-Busters and Gaim, with his most major projects so far being Gaim’s movie war with Wizard, the ToQger/Gaim crossover, the Kikaider episode of Gaim and the novel for OOO. After this series, in which he serves as the secondary writer (by default, since there are only two writers for this whole series), he goes on to be a staff writer for Ghost, the main writer for Kyuranger and the secondary writer for Zi-O and Saber. With all that said, on with the review. Since it’s a new year, we open with the Ninningers doing some spring cleaning. But then Tsumuji appears from behind the screen and challenges Takaharu to a fight. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tq4YrW...jpg&name=small After a brief struggle, in which Takaharu expresses his admiration for how challenging his dad turns out to be. But then a second Tsumuji appears and is shocked to find he has a double. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tq4YxW...jpg&name=small “Tsumuji” sighs at not being able to keep up his ruse for longer. He then pulls out the Shuriken Ball (you can see where this is going), and if you’re not convinced he’s related to the Ninningers, he does the Ninninger/Ninja Steel pose. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tq4Y2X...jpg&name=small Shurikenger: I am Ninja of Ninja! The Green Light Bullet! Tenkuu Ninja, Shurikenger, has arrived! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tq4Y6X...jpg&name=small (Don’t ask how he’s alive. The episode isn’t keen to explain it, nor how he has the Shuriken Ball again) Having never heard of Shurikenger before, the Ninningers assume that he’s a new recruit, given their shared shuriken motifs. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trIsgW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trIsmX...jpg&name=small But Shurikenger puts paid to the idea of a MidoNinger (at least, until the returns special), explaining why he’s here. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trIspX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trIsvX...jpg&name=small This then leads to some recaps of the previous Legend Ninjas they’ve faced (Oh yeah, did I mention this was a clip show?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trZTZX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trZTcW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trZTfX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trZTkW...jpg&name=small Shurikenger decides to put that to the test with a special training exercise: Yokai Karuta (for reference, Karuta is a game where cards are scattered over a play area and players compete to pick up cards that someone announces with a flowery description. I think that in order to win, you have to have the most cards). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trkA8W...jpg&name=small Elsewhere, Arachne no Kata (who, to extend the moon theme the Kibaoni clan has going on, is voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi) is out looking for her son Mangetsu, assuring him there’s no hard feelings. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trkBCW...jpg&name=small Teriyaki no Kata runs into Masakage, who assures her that Mangetsu is currently engaged in battle, which cheers her up for now. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trkBMX...jpg&name=small However, as she leaves to cheer him on, Masakage admits that he can’t tell her that her son was killed by Haoh Gekiatsu Dai-Oh in the last episode (video of the Mecha included below) https://youtube.com/watch?v=zwndAL3VKhY As Shurikenger shows off his Karuta cards, everyone changes into kimonos (apparently, that’s part of the rules/traditions of Karuta. I don’t know why), as the game starts. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2trkBQX...jpg&name=small The game proceeds, with Kasumi getting the card for Kamaitachi (from episode 1), Nagi claims the card for Enraenra (from episode 11), Raizo Gabi’s (last seen in episode 12) card is obtained by Takaharu, the card for Suzembachi (from episode 33) goes to Yakumo, Taka gets Tsuchigumo (from episode 4), Fuuka gets Nue (from episodes 19-20), Mujina (from episodes 31-2) gets taken by Takaharu, Ookami Otoko (episodes 27 and 35-6) brings back some bad memories for Kinji and Tsumuji gets nostalgic and joins in when Shurikenger calls out Kasabake no Ame (who Tsumuji helped defeat in episode 16). In the middle of this disruption, the deck gets infected by a Sealing Shuriken. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tr1ESW...jpg&name=small The next card to get called is Yamabiko (from episode 14), which Fuuka goes for. But at the last moment, the card swaps out for the card for Ushi-Gome, sucking her into the Yamabiko card, to everyone’s confusion… even Shurikenger’s. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tr1EUX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tr1EXX...jpg&name=small A creepy voice speaks up, claiming credit for the deed. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tr1EdX...jpg&name=small (Note that he uses “kami” rather than “shin”. There’s a reason for that) He explains that Fuuka is now inside the Karuta, which resembles the place where they fought Yamabiko the first time… and he’s there again (he’s also now capable of disguising his appearance as well as his voice, but that doesn’t translate well to picture). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsJKuW...jpg&name=small Fudagaeshi explains the new rules to everyone. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsJKyX...jpg&name=small The only way to save Fuuka is to keep playing the game… which results in Yakumo and Kasumi being sucked into the cards for Otoroshi (see episode 18) and Yuki-Onna (see episode 23) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsJK5W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsJK7W...jpg&name=small In the real world, Nagi has an idea and in the next round, everyone gets the wrong cards, allowing themselves to be sucked into the same worlds as the others. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsX_aX...jpg&name=small Kinji also brings along Yakumo’s lawnmower (don’t ask) to give Yakumo a clear conscience to kill Otoroshi (it’s a long story) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsX_pW...jpg&name=small As everyone transforms, Takaharu does a Chozetsu Henge… https://youtube.com/watch?v=nHz2EW7aDPg And all three opponents are double-teamed to death. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsX_wX...jpg&name=small As they return to the real world, Fudageashi uses Yojutsu: Karuta no Mai to unleash a group of revived Yokai to fight back. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsX_zW...jpg&name=small Then Kinji joins in on the super mode action (the sword is his item, not the Shuriken). https://youtube.com/watch?v=pCZuMk1r0a4 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsl9xX...jpg&name=small Everyone defeats their opponents, except Takaharu, who gets restrained. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsl92W...jpg&name=small But Shurikenger hears the word “fire” and takes that as his cue to do something. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsl96W...jpg&name=small Shurikenger: Chou Ninpo: Senbon Knock! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsl-AW...jpg&name=small It then transpires that Fudagaeshi is in the last card in the deck (even though I’m sure I saw a Kyuemon card earlier than no-one did anything with)… which the Ninningers don’t recognise (it’s the Yokai from the VS movie with ToQger, which does call into question when that movie is supposed to take place, if at all, when this episode ends) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsw2fX...jpg&name=small Rumbled, Fudagaeshi reveals himself. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsw2tX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsw2iX...jpg&name=small Then Kinji explains to all the Americans pirating this to post their views on online forums for other people to disagree with because they don’t like the show this guy likes why he used “kami” instead of “shin” to introduce himself. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2tsw2oW...jpg&name=small As Fudagaeshi begins leaping all over the room to escape, Takaharu uses the Shukushaku Shukkushou Nin Shuriken (last seen in ToQger vs Kyoryuger) to reduce himself in size. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ts6weX...jpg&name=small And so, a chase commences. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ts6wnX...jpg&name=small Takaharu defeats him with the Chozetsu Shuriken Zan, which creates a smaller flame that Fuuka extinguishes with a glass of water. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ts6wpW...jpg&name=small As this gets cleaned up, Shurikenger gives Yoshitaka his praise before leaving. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ts6wtW...jpg&name=small As the kids go New Years shopping, Kirisaki no Kata’s search leads her to Kyuemon. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ttL0DX...jpg&name=small Unlike Masakage, Kyuemon is brutally honest, telling her in the nicest way possible that her son was killed by the Igasaki ninjas. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ttL0NX...jpg&name=small Unable to process this revelation, Ariake no Kata explodes into a whirlpool of fear energy (relax, she’s alive) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ttL0FW...jpg&name=small This being exactly what Kyuemon was banking on, he then redirects the large pool of energy to the Kibaoni lair. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ttL0LW...jpg&name=small The accumulated energy reaches its target and begins to take shape. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ttXzTX...jpg&name=small As the Ninningers return from their New Years shopping, they spot a black cloud on the horizon (ominous). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ttXzXX...jpg&name=small And the Last Ninja tells them both that this is Gengetsu Kibaoni and that the curtain is about to rise on the final battle, as the episode ends. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E2ttXzfX...jpg&name=small Final thoughts: Nothing took special. Just a fun little self-contained episode with a little fan service and it advanced the plot. And people look down on clip shows as pointless filler. Join me next tiem for the final (for now) instalment of my watch thread, wherein I review Hero Mama League. |
Hero Mama League Episode 1: Solved in No Time! The Path to Hero Mama is a Glittering One
Here we are, at the last entry in this thread (for now). A special episode showing three former Sentai heroines as mothers. But as opposed to being some random bit of fluff, it serves as a prequel to the then-upcoming VS movie “Uchuu Sentai Kyuranger vs Space Squad (which I will not be covering here). Now then, let’s meet the other two Hero Mamas. Marika “Jasmine” Hiwatari (nee Reimon): Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger’s DekaYellow. A psychic (ESPer), as she can pick up sensory impressions of others through handling an object or visiting a location her target has touched or been to, although she can get exhausted if she overuses them. Jasmine wears gloves to help control her powers when she doesn't need to use them. Houka Ozu: Mahou Sentai Magiranger’s MagiPink. Utilises the wind element and is the second oldest child (and oldest daughter) of the Ozu family. Specialises in transformation magic. She is cheerful and flighty, stringing along several boyfriends (as many as 15 at the same time), and her catchphrase is "Yahoo!", but also has a tendency to refer herself in third-person. She has a narrow focus, though, and can be a troublemaker. However, she also sees everything in a positive light (except for the Infershia. Hades God Titan was the only exception), which can sometimes steer her into arguments with her older brother. She works as a fashion model when she feels like it. And our bad guy for this special. UchuuNin (Space Ninja) Demost: An apostle of the Genmakuu cult, taking on the identity of the legendary Sekai Ninja who was defeated by Sekai SenNin Jiraiya during the quest for the Pako. His origins and motives, like the rest of the Genmakuu, are shrouded in mystery. Our writer for this special is Ayumi Shimo, who has no prior Sentai credits, but did go on to be a staff writer for Ryusoulger and Kiramager (like every other writer at Toei, she’s sitting Zenkaiger out). With all that said, on to this, the final review. (Disclaimer: there are no subs for the video I am watching. Any translations choices or interpretations of the scene are entirely my own, based on the context I have) We open on a faraway planet, with Demost in the midst of a ritual, while a narrator explains who he is and mentions that he’s part of Genmakuu. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29EgN9X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29GMBcX...jpg&name=small As Demost perfects his new Ninpo, and the planet he’s on begins to glow, we cutaway to Earth to meet the members of the eponymous Hero Mama League. Nanami… https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29Fs5eX...jpg&name=small Jasmine… https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29EgOJX...jpg&name=small And Houka. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29E0lRW...jpg&name=small As the narrator explains who they are with a montage, we see that they’re taking their kids to daycare. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29E0lVW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29GWPZX...jpg&name=small They drop them off and then we get a look at the daycare manager Hiroto (played by Hideya Tawada, better known as Kinji from Ninninger)… who doesn’t recognise the kids’ mothers (the hell kind of daycare is he running where he doesn’t know the parents? What if something happens on his watch?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29GWPoX...jpg&name=small The Hero Mamas retreat to a cafe (which isn’t very busy, since there are only three other customers). While wondering how they can impress the daycare teacher, Nanami mentions how she had to have an expandable shinobi suit made to fit her pregnancy (they didn’t just… give her time off? The Space Union Ninja Style must have a horrible union) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29HWztX...jpg&name=small Then Jasmine mentions she had to have “mind the baby” stickers made for PatArmor (which means that the Space Police are either letting her bring a baby on police missions, or they’re not giving her maternity leave. Either way, their union is just as horrible). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29G_W7X...jpg&name=small And Houka mentions that she had to give her baby Fuuka her MagiStick as a toy (which is arguably, the least severe of the three things they’re talking about. Until you factor in that it’s a magic wand, that is based around transforming things, being giving to a baby), leaving her unable to fight (there’s also that) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29HWz4X...jpg&name=small They then begin thinking of ways to appear more notable to Hiroto… but they’re on a budget (both in and out of a universe). Back on his planet, Demost performs his Uchuu Ankoku Ninpo: Kikai Ninchuu Bakutan, giving birth to an army of Machine Ninsects (my own translation)… which, due to budget, are rendered as barely animated 2D drawings (the narrator explains that no image is available), which he then directs to Earth https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29HWz-X...jpg&name=small Back with the Hero Mamas, as they discuss their home lives, we get a glimpse of Nanami’s husband… shot from the back, so we don’t see who it is (the narration assured us that we’ll find out who she and Houka married “another time”). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29NQkCX...jpg&name=small This conversation is interrupted at one point by Jasmine getting a call from work, wanting her on a case. She returns after a time cut, complaining about how hard it was, since there were some unusually tough Androids Boss (the nickname for Doggie Cruger/DekaMaster) was on vacation in the tropics (sadly, I don’t have an image for that). In the midst of this, Demost increases the size of his army with Uchuu Ankoku Ninpo: Mushi Seiretsu. After another few minutes of conversation, Houka receives a call from her brother Tsubasa (because by this point, Toei has Hiroya Matsumoto locked in their basement), telling her of the appearance of Infershia (the bad guys from Magiranger) remnants. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29MxWpX...jpg&name=small As Houka returns (and the customers and staff seem unusually unpaused by the women on the nearby table transforming into superheroes, running off and then coming back) and describes what happened (apparently, it was something to do with fish and green gunk). As Nanami feels depressed and recovers from it, the Machine Ninsects descend upon Earth, with all three running into battle together to face them, doing a group transformation… https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29NQkEX...jpg&name=small But since there’s no budget or time, we cut to the Hero Mamas having already defeated the Machine Ninsect invasion and Demost swearing vengeance (with the narrator reminding us to watch Kyuranger vs Space Squad to see what happens next). The three then pick up their kids, with the daycare teacher at first confused about their being out of breath, but then apologising for his crass remarks earlier (glad that was solved in some way, even if it wasn’t entirely satisfactory). Nanami, Jasmine and Houka then take their kids home, as the short ends. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29NQkGW...jpg&name=small Final thoughts: This is just a short comedy fluff piece, with not much going on (literally, when it’s not the three characters talking in a cafe, or weird jump cuts to them doing flashy poses, it’s Demost standing there and making hand gestures). But I do like that the main gag is a threat that they don’t have the time or budget to adequately depict. |
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We open on a faraway planet, with Demost in the midst of creating a new Ninpo, while a narrator explains who he is and mentions that he?s part of Genmakuu (for more on them, see here. And here https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29EgN9X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29GMBcX...jpg&name=small As Demost perfects his new Ninpo, and the planet he?s on begins to glow, we cutaway to Earth to meet the members of the eponymous Hero Mama League. Nanami? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29Fs5eX...jpg&name=small Jasmine? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29EgOJX...jpg&name=small And Houka. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29E0lRW...jpg&name=small (The narrator states that their husbands won?t be revealed this time. Then when will they be, Narrator? When?) And as the three see off their children, with Nanami and Jasmine using their skills as an actress and a cop respectively to calm their children, while the situation is reversed for Houka and Fuuka, the daycare manager Hiroto comes up and tells the three they look tired (dude has no tact) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29GWPoX...jpg&name=small The Hero Mamas retreat to a cafe (which isn?t very busy, since there are only three other customers). While wondering how they can get the daycare teacher to compliment them, Nanami mentions how she had to have an expandable shinobi suit made to breastfeed her baby (they didn?t just? give her time off? The Space Union Ninja Style must have a horrible union) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29HWztX...jpg&name=small Then Jasmine mentions she had to have ?mind the baby? stickers made for PatArmor so she could use it as a diaper changing station. (And she adds that she?s required by S.P.D guidelines to take an infant with her on missions, rather than giving her maternity leave. Evidently, their union is just as horrible). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29G_W7X...jpg&name=small And Houka mentions that she had to give her baby Fuuka her MagiStick as a toy (which is arguably, the least severe of the three things they?re talking about. Until you factor in that it?s a magic wand, that is based around transforming things, being giving to a baby), leaving her unable to fight (there?s also that) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29HWz4X...jpg&name=small They then discuss ways they use to cheat at doing chores to make battles shorter. Namely, gathering all the dirt in one place can be applied to the bad guys, cutting out the hanging out part of laundry can be applied to cutting out the roll call (which Nanami breaks the 4th wall to point out that it would get some outcry. Rovang can attest to that), and Houka suggests using her strategy of buttering up her husband (played by Nao Nagasawa?s real life husband. Clearly InuBrother and KijiBrother aren?t the first Sentai heroes embroiled in an infidelity plot)to do jobs she doesn?t like to calling in powerful allies to defeat enemies you don?t want to fight. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29NQkCX...jpg&name=small As if on cue, Jasmine gets called in as DekaYellow, vowing to use the advice given to make the fight three minutes long, with Nanami giving her the on-the-spot advice to change into DekaYellow there and then (and none of the cafe patrons care about this). Back on his planet, Demost performs his Uchuu Ankoku Ninpo: Kikai Ninchuu Bakutan, giving birth to an army of Machine Ninsects (my own translation)? which, due to budget (or lack thereof), are rendered as barely animated 2D drawings, which after gathering them like ?a reality show audience?, he then directs to Earth. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29HWz-X...jpg&name=small More than 3 minutes later, Jasmine returns to the cafe, exhausted. She explains that she couldn?t gather the Anaroids in one place, because they?re difficult to control, her attempt to skip her part of the roll call annoyed Umeko (whose roll call makes no sense without Jasmine?s) to the point they did it again, and calling in Boss to help in the fight was out of the question, since he was on vacation in Miami. They then decide to go with a different course of action: do household chores IN battle. As if on cue, Houka?s brother Tsubasa calls her into battle with an Infershia remnant. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29MxWpX...jpg&name=small As Houka returns (and the customers and staff still seem unusually nonplussed by the women on the nearby table transforming into superheroes, running off and then coming back) and describes what happened. Her attempt to use the explosion behind them to cook ended up burning the food (as Jasmine points out, they use napalm, it?s to be expect) while her using MagiKing to iron her husband?s shirt ended up getting it covered in monster guts (Don?t the monsters exploded upon defeat?). As Nanami feels depressed that they?re even more tired than before, they sense the arrival of the Machine Ninsects. Deciding to simply do what they?ve always done, because it?s worked for them before, the three transform and run into battle. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29NQkEX...jpg&name=small But since there?s no budget or time, we cut to the Hero Mamas having already defeated the Machine Ninsect invasion and Demost preparing his next plan (with the narrator reminding us to watch Uchuu Sentai Kyuranger vs Space Squad to see what that?s all about). The three Hero Mamas return to the daycare, where Hiroto points out that not only do they look even MORE tired, but they?re late as well (it?s almost sundown). But their three kids tell them that they sparkle to them, and that?s what really matters. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E29NQkGW...jpg&name=small Final thoughts: This is just a short comedy fluff piece, with not much going on (literally, when it?s not the three characters talking in a cafe, or weird jump cuts to them doing flashy poses, it?s Demost standing there and making hand gestures). But I do like that the main gag is a threat that they don?t have the time or budget to adequately depict. Though I have to say, I?m not sure this is better or worse with the subs. |
Dai Fukatsu! Fukushū Bōma!
Which is my fancy way of saying that, with the 20 Years movie incoming, the Hurricaneger thread is back in business, starting with? Avataro Sentai Donbrothers meets Hurricaneger And, as it?s a crossover, and if you don?t know anything about Hurricaneger, then what are you doing here?, I have to explain to you about the Donbrothers (in a more detailed fashion than the previous time I did so) ?Once upon this year, in a land somewhere out there? lived 4 companions and one Avataro.? A man called Jin Momoi finds a baby inside a peach-shaped capsule whom he names Taro and raises. 21 years later, mysterious monsters called the Hitotsuki begin appearing when humans overcome with their inner desires are taken over by spirits infused with powers related to the Super Sentai from the past. Taro, and four other individuals selected by Jin; Shinichi Saruhara, a smart but eccentric young man, Haruka Kito, a high schooler manga artist, Tsubasa Inuzuka, a wanted fugitive, and Tsuyoshi Kijino, an ordinary salaryman begin fighting the Hitotsuki and saving their hosts as the Donbrothers. They are later joined by Jiro Momotani, who was also found in a capsule as a baby and raised in a rural area, and aspires to become a hero. Also standing in their way are the Noto, elusive and ruthless individuals from a higher plane who stop the Hitotsuki by sealing their hosts in another dimension to kill them, unlike the Donbrothers who use their powers to rescue them, and the Juto, strange and powerful creatures who are a threat to both humans and the Noto. The Donbrothers also count on the secret help of Kaito Goshikida, the owner of the coffee shop Donbura who transforms into Zenkaizer Black. Taro Momoi/Don Momotaro: A survivor of the Don Clan. Taro was found by Jin Momoi inside a peach-shaped capsule that floated to shore after exiting a portal from Ideon when he was just a baby. In his childhood, he was excellent at everything and always eager to help people do things correctly, but this goodwill became so intrusive that the neighbors organized a rally against him, although he did not realize that he was hated until everyone in the neighborhood left. During his birthdays, he would often celebrate alone with his foster father as none of the neighbors wanted to come to his party when invited. A happier moment was when he would make onigiri for Jin to take with him for his lunch before he headed off to work. Another sad moment in his childhood was during one summer when his pet beetle Gii flew out a window and never returned, upsetting Taro since he had no real friends and treasured Gii as the closest thing to one. Taro lives alone and works as a delivery man at Shirokuma Express, the employees of which tend to exploit his bluntness when gambling for portions in the company lunch breaks. He also fights against the Noto and Hitotsuki as Don Momotaro. Taro is young man who is incapable of lying and capable of living on his own after his foster father vanished. He also can do any kind of work, like cleaning, cooking, making rice-balls etc. As his regular self, he is cheery and generally well-mannered, though his tendency to be brutally honest often leaves him in situations where the favor is usually against him or annoys people to the point that they hate being around him. Unhelpful to those who meet him, Taro's form of giving advice is simply stating out what someone does wrong before performing the corresponding act in what he deems to be the right way, typically worsening any relationships he has with other people. Additionally, his comments are usually made without consideration of someone's feelings, which normally results in him angering others unintentionally. His honesty extends to how he views the world, seeing lying as wrong and even if the intent is for good reasons, the liar is masking a false truth and true words come directly from the heart, though a brief conversation with Sonoi later made him slightly loosen up to deception. Unlike his superhero persona, Taro hates fighting to the point he will never directly hit a person even if provoked. Despite his friendly disposition, Taro?s childhood has affected him negatively as he doesn?t know what true happiness is. His compulsory need to help others and make them happy is, in his own words, a way to understand the emotion itself since he is lonely. He also seems to dislike his birthday, as it serves as a constant reminder of his loneliness. As Don Momotaro, however, he undergoes a drastic personality change. Compared to his civilian identity, Don Momotaro is far more boisterous and jolly, often seeing every battle as a type of festival under an air of confidence, and can also be a bit unpredictable and eccentric. Earlier, he wildly attacked his team as a test of their combat skills and training, especially if he felt that they were holding him back in battle. After fighting against Chikyuuki, however, he has since stopped his wild training spree after his teammates' combat experience developed and they began working together more cohesively. However, it's implied that his Don Momotaro persona is merely a front on his behalf, as while his heroic nature is retained, he will usually drop his jolly self back to his Taro personality when things have gotten serious, such as facing honorable or powerful opponents, or when he strongly opposes those who crossed the line of killing anyone, regardless of whether they are innocent or bad people. While not in serious situations, he briefly retains his Taro persona while in his ranger form upon being teleported into battle before returning back to his jolly self, as seen when Taro is momentarily distracted from making delivery services during his battle against Kijino?s boss. Haruka Kito/OniSister: Haruka is a high school student at Tsunokaku High School and aspiring manga artist who wrote First Love Hero. She lives in an apartment building called Grand Residence Fukuwauchi with her aunt, Yuriko Kito, who works as a detective. She originally was meant to receive a manga award for her work, but after she became OniSister, Haruka was accused of plagiarism and had her reputation ruined. As the youngest of the team, Haruka can be a bit childish at times, sometimes having fits if she is bored upset or frustrated. She also was, at first, hesitant to be a hero due to the fear and anxiety of witnessing monster attacks. She also has a bad temperament if something pushes her to her limits, her fury being able to terrify others into just avoiding upsetting her further through being submissive. She is also shown to be jealous of other young women if they possess qualities she doesn?t have. Despite this, Haruka can also be helpful and kind to her friends. At the later end of the show, Haruka gains her driver?s license, despite being a terrible driver who can only drive properly in reverse gear and recklessly speeds on the road when going forward. Aside from her skills as a manga artist, Haruka is athletic as she is seen jogging and using a bicycle. Her social life has been somewhat ruined by the misfortune effects of being a Donbrother as her classmates all now call her ?plagiarist? instead of by name and her love life has come crashing down as her seemingly dubious reputation forced her boyfriend to dump her at the behest of his mother. Since Donbrothers isn?t over yet, I?ll reserve judgement on the overall product (though I am leaning very positively) In terms of crew, this special is written by Shunito Nishi, whose one previous Tokusatsu credit was Kamen Rider Revice: Birth of Chimera (which I felt was average at best, but still better than the movie it led into) and directed by Kenshin Tanimoto, who seems to be a new guy to this business. So, with all of that said, on with the review. We start with Haruka, once again, struggling for inspiration to create something original. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5cOUhX...jpg&name=small And then she gets interrupted by what she thinks is a customer? but is actually a group of MAGErappas. (Not MEGArappas, I mean, who would make such a stupid mistake?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5cOUmX...jpg&name=small And then, as if to make things even crazier, a certain ninja shows up. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5cOUaX...jpg&name=small Yosuke: The clouds part, the sky rages?? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5cOUcX...jpg&name=small A fight then breaks out inside Cafe Donbura, over a blue stone the Magerappas are safeguarding. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5caxIW...jpg&name=small Eventually, Yosuke initiates that old favourite Chou Ninpo: Kage no Mai (which allows the director to have the cafe wrecked without actually showing any of the destruction) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5cavXW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5cavOX...jpg&name=small Eventually, Haruka gets so annoyed, she disperses the screen (no really, it?s that kind of show). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5caxJX...jpg&name=small The Magerappas get away with the stone as Nanami and Kouta arrive on the scene. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5cj8bX...jpg&name=small But, they don?t get a chance to leave, since they find an angry teenage waitress in their way. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5cj7wX...jpg&name=small Cue the title https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5cj8bW...jpg&name=small Sure enough, a few minutes later, the three Hayate Ninjas are cleaning up the place (some things never change, I guess), much to Kouta?s chagrin. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5cj8ZX...jpg&name=small Meanwhile, Haruka has calmed down and is now observing the three. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5dGdFX...jpg&name=small Seizing a chance for some inspiration, Haruka decides to get their story. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5dGdGX...jpg&name=small While Yosuke and Kouta are in no hurry to get interviewed by someone who was a glint in the postman?s eye when they saved the world, Nanami is a bit smarter about this. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5dGdIW...jpg&name=small And so, she and Kouta fill Haruka in on her basics of their story (to which I?m gonna hyperlink you to my relevant reviews.) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5dYWGX...jpg&name=small Their first battle with the Jakanja (which appears twice) Senpuujin?s debut The Kuroko-bots wiping people?s memories Yosuke attacks Kirikirimaishi, before the Kasumi Bros appear and transform into the Gouraigers Shurikenger enters in Tenkuujin Shurikenger battles Sandaaru in Fire Mode Shurikenger dies And finally, The heroes destroy the Evil Will. And why is their story now continuing, despite all their enemies being dead? Yosuke explains that Jakanja isn?t done yet. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5dyBjX...jpg&name=small These would be the Reverse Seven Spears, Aunja and Oi-Randa, with the blue orb being the Time Stone they need for their plan. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5dyDdW...jpg&name=small But by this point, Haruka doesn?t care. She?s too busy fantasising about her next manga, a Shoujo story about ninjas in a high school (no wonder she got accused of plagiarism) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eBziX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eBwnW...jpg&name=small Yosuke and the others react accordingly. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eBwfX...jpg&name=small And then they get a call on their Hurricane Gyros? from a voice that?s way too young to be Oboro?s. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eBzgX...jpg&name=small As Yosuke asks who this is, she gets annoyed. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eOwrW...jpg&name=small (As in, the character who was in the cast reveals, but not in the synopsis. Meanwhile, Oi-Randa was in the synopsis, yet all we?ve seen of her is a silhouette and an eye. Hmmm) Moeru informs the three that she?s located the Magerappas that stole the Time Stone, to which Haruka offers to join them in the fight. When they give the usual ?Its too dangerous? speech, she shows that she?s perfectly equipped for danger in the most straightforward and literal way. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eOzeX...jpg&name=small https://youtube.com/watch?v=qP6UXJSRVbA https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eOzmW...jpg&name=small And on top of a building, the lead Magerappa presents his prize to Aunja. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eOzbW...jpg&name=small He then obliquely hints as to what he and Oi-Randa are up to (they have to leave some surprises for the movie. All we know is that it involves travelling through time to steal a Heaven Stone from a Princess in the Edo Era) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eRyDX...jpg&name=small But then the Hurricanegers show up to rain on his parade, Shinobi Changing to fight his group of Magerappas. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eTedW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eTeZX...jpg&name=small Haruka, instead of fighting, is instead taking notes (let no crisis go to waste, I guess) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eTeWX...jpg&name=small The fight then begins. And due to the budget being lower than your standard episode (and that?s saying something), the only technique we see any of them pull off is Kouta?s Chou Ninpo: Mai Jishi (which is easy to pull off if you have two HurricaneYellow suits) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eTfGX...jpg&name=small And then, Taro appears in order to join the fun? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eVGQX...jpg&name=small Though Haruka wishes he hadn?t. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eVGuX...jpg&name=small After a few minutes of sword fighting, Taro is sufficiently impressed enough to ask Yosuke to join him in matri- er, I mean, as a companion. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eWeUX...jpg&name=small But Yosuke isn?t interested. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eWeZW...jpg&name=small And Aunja uses this argument as his chance to kill Yosuke. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eWeVX...jpg&name=small Haruka comes out of hiding to mourn his death? only to realise he swapped out with a decoy at the last second. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eWfYX...jpg&name=large Taro then takes this opportunity to do a combination attack with the Hurricanegers to finish off Aunja. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eX1SW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eX2GX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eX1SX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eZl1W...jpg&name=small But they soon discover that they only destroyed another decoy. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eZlRX...jpg&name=small The real Aunja then appears as a spirit to brag about their plan to go back in time 200 years and collect the Heaven Stone to combine it with the Time Stone, all for the sake of Oi-Randa. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eZlLW...jpg&name=small As Nanami gets confused by that name, we get another silhouette of Oi-Randa. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5eZlqW...jpg&name=small Everyone starts feeling despondent, since they can?t do anything if Aunja manages to go back in time. But then Moeru?s voice speaks up. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5ea1sX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5ea10X...jpg&name=small Moeru explains that she and Oboro have invented a time travel system, and that the Gouraigers are waiting at the base for the main three to show up so they can use it. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5ea2gW...jpg&name=small Taro then tries to do his usual ?attack while their guard is down? schtick, only for Yosuke to reveal his guard is always up. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5ecWIX...jpg&name=small As the Hurricanegers say their goodbyes and leave, Haruka?s come up with an idea for a tragic romance shoujo manga about ninjas (I can see why her mangaka career failed to take off again) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5ecVQX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5ecVQW...jpg&name=small Moeru takes that as a chance to introduce a friend of hers, before putting sunglasses on. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5edvQW...jpg&name=small Huh? What am I doing here? What was I reviewing again? (Or in other words, don?t worry about how the hell this is meant to fit into Donbrothers. Hugh I wonder how they?ll do that for the Abaranger crossover that?s coming soon, since they had no such memory wiping facilities) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5edv0X...jpg&name=small Haruka walks into work, once again, struggling for inspiration to create something original. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5edvzX...jpg&name=small It then ends with her horrified to find the place was wrecked seemingly while she was out (oh the irony). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5efj2X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk5efjzW...jpg&name=small Final thoughts: Overall a little harmless fun that exists purely to develop hype for the movie. If I?m honest, it works better at this than Birth of Chimera, and while fairly new, both writer and director really brought their a-game to this. Next time: They?re back, after 20 Years. |
And we?re back with another instalment for this thread right now.
Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger de gozaru! Shushutto 20th Anniversary! No need to introduce any members of the cast. And our writer this time is Keiko Tani, who hasn?t written any other Tokusatsu (as far as I can dig up, she?s mostly known for jidaigeki, or period dramas, which should indicate where we?re going), so let?s get on with the review. We?re starting things off with a cut back in time. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gQmlMW...jpg&name=small (That?s 1803, for those unfamiliar with Japanese dating) We then have a Hayate style Ninja, Nami, spying a mansion her allies are about to break into. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gQmlJW...jpg&name=small Her allies, Younosuke and Koutaro (evidently, their families aren?t very creative with naming) are inside, about to steal a Golden Stamp (some South American cult think it can reawaken their god) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gQmlMX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gQmlJX...jpg&name=small But no sooner have they gotten out of the house do the pair discover that Nami has been taken hostage by their Ikazuchi style using rivals, Ikkaku and Ikki (goddamnit, I was joking about the Revice connection). (Also, is the gene pool in Kyoto that shallow?) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gRRNbX...jpg&name=small Despite Nami begging her friends to leave her and complete the mission, Koutaro hands over the Golden Stamp to the Ikazuchi Bros to save her life. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gRRNcX...jpg&name=small And to rub salt in the wound, the Ikazuchi Bros rub salt in the wound. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gRRNzW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gRRO-X...jpg&name=small 20 years after this? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gR4PjW...jpg&name=small Mugensai, the trio?s Sensei who resembles the Mugensai of today times, talks about how badly things went for his students after that incident to their feudal Lord (played by the guy who voiced Shurikenger) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gR4PfX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gR4PlX...jpg&name=small It then turns out that he?s asking said Lord to give his students another chance, to which the man is worried. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gR4PgX...jpg&name=small Cue titles. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSMJ1W...jpg&name=small We see Koutaro in the midst of helping a child learn to pee (Well, I guess that?s what having a more adult audience allows you to do. Could be worse, I suppose), evidently because he can?t stand those dirty indoor things. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSMJzX...jpg&name=small He soon gets joined by Nami, who is apparently a travelling minstrel (her song is a shamisen cover of Shinobi Koi. Try not to think too much about it). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSMJzX...jpg&name=small She tries presenting the kid with a spinning paper fan (well it is the 1800s), which is promptly sucked away by the wind? and caught by Younosuke. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSMJyW...jpg&name=small And despite working as a guard for the Emperor?s armoury, his friends take the time to lightly rib him (I guess some things just run in the family). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSePsW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSePpX...jpg&name=small Now that they?ve caught up on civilian gossip, it?s to business. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSePyX...jpg&name=small Koutaro then ushers the kid out of the plot, before everyone departs. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSePrX...jpg&name=small Once they reach the armoury that was broken into, Koutaro?s acute nose picks up a clue as to the culprit. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSn1GX...jpg&name=small Soon enough, a warp in space opens. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSn1BW...jpg&name=small And out comes a geisha, accompanied by the spider guy from that Donbrothers special and some Magerappas in period clothes. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSn0_W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gSn1GX...jpg&name=small The woman then takes out a yellow version of the Time Stone from said Donbrothers special (identified as the ?Warp Stone?) and uses it to change into a more alien/revue hybrid look (fittingly, the actress Hana Hizuki, who played the role, is a former revue actress). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gS2IiX...jpg&name=small And then spider-guy confirms what we who have seen the Donbrothers special have guessed already: this lady is Oiranda. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gS2InW...jpg&name=small The two surviving guard try to fight off the Jakanja remnants, but one of them is knocked out quickly, while the other gets captured. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gS2IoW...jpg&name=small Oiranda then asks the awake guard for the location of the Sky Stone. When he doesn?t say anything, she kills him and asks the same question of his recovering ally, with more context added. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTEXrW...jpg&name=small With a little persuasion, the man tells her what he knows? and then dies from having his brain scraped. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTEXjX...jpg&name=small Oiranda?s party then departs, but not before she drops a hint as to her plan. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTEYSX...jpg&name=small The three then decide to report to Mugensai, with Younosuke failing to eat his own words. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTEYOX...jpg&name=small And when they get there, it turns out that Mugensai knows exactly who Teruhime is. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTWFnX...jpg&name=small Sure enough, the Lord explains that she?s in town on family business. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTWFrX...jpg&name=small And unfortunately, because things can never be simple, she?s already left the castle. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTWE4X...jpg&name=small And there?s more bad news, along with some good news. The bad news is, she has the Sky Stone in her hairpin. The good news is that her guards were Ninjas sent by the Shogun himself. And because the casting budget isn?t huge, Nami is genre savvy enough to expect some old friends. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTiiRX...jpg&name=small As it turns out, they are (Who?da thunk it?), and Teruhime is less than pleased with their lack of appreciation for Kabuki theatre. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTiiUX...jpg&name=small The two try to get her to ignore them, but Teruhime ain?t having it. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTvcCX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTvcDW...jpg&name=small They then get pulled away by the arrival of the Hayate trio, who aren?t happy with the reunion. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gTvcwW...jpg&name=small Fortunately, Younosuke is professional enough to deliver the message as dictated. But unfortunately, Ikkaku isn?t professional enough to believe there?ll be any issues. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gT_7yW...jpg&name=small As if to prove him wrong, Oiranda arrives and murders the actor Teruhime was fawning over. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gT_7BW...jpg&name=small The two villains then perform an introduction. Oiranda: More cruel and dark than the Seven Dark Spears. I am the Third Spear of the Hidden Seven Spears! Oiranda! Aunja: I am the greatest bodyguard in the Galaxy. I am the Fourth Spear of the Hidden Seven Spears! Aunja! Oiranda then spots her prize among the crowd. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gT_7zX...jpg&name=small The Ikazuchi Bros then try taking down Aunja, but their regular ninja weapons are useless against an alien. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUN40X...jpg&name=small And then Teruhime ends up a hostage of Oiranda. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUN49W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUN48X...jpg&name=small But Teruhime is smart enough to swallow the jewel so that no-one can take it. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUN40X...jpg&name=small Before Aunja can vivisect her to recover the Sky Stone, the Gouraigers appear to transport Teruhime to the side. (It only too about 20 minutes for the people you?re here to see to show up) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUeY7X...jpg&name=small Ikkou: I face the darkness, I slash the darkness. Isshu: I face the light, I slash the light. Both: Denkousekka Gouraiger, revealed! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUeY0X...jpg&name=small Oiranda is annoyed? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUeYyX...jpg&name=small And to add to this, the Hurricanegers show up. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUeY0X...jpg&name=small Yousuke: Unknown to the people? Nanami: Unknown to the world? Kouta: We become shadows to strike at evil. Yosuke: Ninpuu Sentai? All: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUsIIX...jpg&name=small Yousuke: Has arrived! And then we get some comments on the whole ?Identical Grandson? trope being in play. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUsIHX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUsHeW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gUsHdX...jpg&name=small And then a fight breaks out with the jidaigeki Magerappas. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gU1QKW...jpg&name=small And we get some old moves brought out for the first time in a long while. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gU1QFW...jpg&name=small They then go straight for the Victory Gadget. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gU1QfX...jpg&name=small But they both survive, and Oiranda counters by bringing out the Blast Stone. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVD0eX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVD0eX...jpg&name=small Overwhelmed, The ninjas go for the by now standard Kage no Mai (Come on, did you think they?d get a 40-something year old woman to do her own stunts?)? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVD0eW...jpg&name=small Everyone of the heroes then beats a hasty withdrawal. But Aunja has a lock on them with his Uchuu Ninpo: Kumori Manaku. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVML_X...jpg&name=small At a convenient hut that doesn?t need to be on location, the modern day heroes show off the 2002 DX toyline to their ancestors. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVML0X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVX78X...jpg&name=small But Younosuke is more interested in the Hurricane Gyro (a Memorial version of which is due out soon, as of this typing). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVX8NX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVX79X...jpg&name=small And Kouta gets the wrong idea about his ancestor. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVkfaW...jpg&name=small It turns out that it is romance related, but not in the way your dirty minds are probably thinking. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVkf6X...jpg&name=small As Nanami assures Nami that she probably will get married, even if her descendants don?t know who to (to be honest, do you know much about your ancestors from 200 years ago?), Teruhime decides to ask what we?re probably all thinking. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVkfmX...jpg&name=small To answer her question, Yousuke takes out a black ball with a hologram emitter. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVzbWX...jpg&name=small And the ancestors get the wrong idea, due to Hamster Headmaster photobombing the camera. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVzbQW...jpg&name=small But then Oboro takes him away to carry out a formal conversation. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gVzbQX...jpg&name=small After introducing herself as the Hayate style?s No. 1 genius scientist, Oboro introduces her assistant, Kirara from the Donbrothers special. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gWBstW...jpg&name=small She then gives a fairly bragging intro as well (She clearly studied with the master) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gWBsQX...jpg&name=small While Ikkaku is shocked by the sight of a woman in pants, Ikki likes what he see a lot (cue feminists incessantly booing). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gWBsVX...jpg&name=small Oboro then clarifies for the maybe 3 people still in doubt that, yes, this is a time travel flick. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gWZjDX...jpg&name=small We then get an excuse to cut back on the body doubles and split screen. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gWZiUX...jpg&name=small Namely, they only have an hour in the past. And even then, they?ve lost time due to bugs developed through actually travelling through time. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gWZiIW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gWZi3W...jpg&name=small This then provides an excuse for the requisite updated transformation scene. Hurricanegers: Ninpuu! Shinobi Change! Gouraigers: Jinrai! Shinobi Change! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gW8bFX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gW8bHW...jpg&name=small Younosuke tries to take a turn Shinobi Changing, but Yousuke has to remind him of the warning they were just given (I see that the family brain cell was grown over the years). Getting back to the main plot, the modern heroes request the the Princess hand over the Sky Stone, much to her shock. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gW8bGW...jpg&name=small Kirara and Oboro then explain the history of the 4 stones. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gXVOFX...jpg&name=small These are the Warp Stone, with the power of teleportation, the Time Stone, with the power to pass through time, the Blast Stone, with the power to shoot fire, and the Sky Stone, which functions as a keystone. And then if you weren?t sure whether the writer and director had seen Infinity War, well? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gXVOOX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gXVO_W...jpg&name=small The stones are the target of two of the Hidden Seven Spears, which leads to this retcon (which seems to confirm that Vs Gaoranger is canon to this movie). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gXqQjX...jpg&name=small (This just leaves me with two questions. 1) Were the other Hurricaneger part of the Hidden Spears? Because with the Space Monkeys and Iga, it would make seven. And 2) If 10YA is canon to this, then where the hell is Tenkai?) And the reason they had to steal the Time Stone and create this mess is because the Sky Stone no longer exists in 2023. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gXqQbX...jpg&name=small The rumination over what Oiranda wishes for end quickly when the whole ?Lover?s Suicide? comment from earlier gets brought up. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gXqQZW...jpg&name=small To stop the end of the world, they need to destroy the Sky Stone so the others won?t be able to pool their energies. When asked where it is, the ancestors are entirely honest. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gYMzrX...jpg&name=small So Yousuke comes up with what is the best solution to that. It is also the worst solution. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gYMzdW...jpg&name=small Kirara sums up how that is seriously the best solution. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gYgy5X...jpg&name=small Not wanting to do it, the Princess feigns illness and runs out of the cabin. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gYgzwW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gYrx5X...jpg&name=small (Bitch, if you have a better solution, let?s hear it then) But as you?d expect, Aunja captures her almost instantly. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gYrxIX...jpg&name=small And of course, it?s at this point that Nanami and Nami notice that Teruhime has gone. (Resulting in the strangest case of overdubbing I?ve ever seen) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gYrxEX...jpg&name=small Finding evidence that the princess was kidnapped, Ikkaku makes it clear that he blames Ikki for the whole thing (These guys are basically their modern day descendants if they never had any character development, let?s not kid ourselves). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gYrxkX...jpg&name=small Cue an argument with the Hayate Ninjas over how the Ikazuchi Bros don?t value the lives of their allies. (Which is basically half the message of this movie: emotionism versus stoicism) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gY_URX...jpg&name=small The modern day Ninjas try to break them up, only for the time travel app to send a push notification. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gY_TsX...jpg&name=small They have so little time the (apparently corporate branded, since it looks like a Shinobi Medal) time portal opens. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZIIcX...jpg&name=small Using their last minute in the past, the Hurricanegers and Gouraigers give their ancestors some much needed advice: Put aside your differences to save the world. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZIIeX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZIIeX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZII9b...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZURfX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZURaX...jpg&name=small Having said their peace, the modern protagonists exit the action and return to 2023 (or Reiwa Year 5, to keep with this movie?s use of the Imperial dating system) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZURYX...jpg&name=small Taking the advice from the future to heart, the Ancestors come up with a plan to detect Oiranda to thwart her plan. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZgxVX...jpg&name=small As they decide this, Oiranda reappears with Teruhime in the middle of Edo (what is now modern-day Tokyo. It wasn?t the capital of Japan back then), scaring everyone off. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZgxXX...jpg&name=small She then threatens to brutally tear the Sky Stone out of Teruhime?s stomach? only to harmlessly remove it with the Warp Stone instead. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZgxwW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZp7XW...jpg&name=small Teruhime faints at the sight? reawakening later to find Oiranda using the 4 stones for a ritual, while chanting a spell. (What have the heroes been up to in that time? God knows) Oiranda: Akashi au gu ni kara ishi kara parasen kau. (?Buy para-rays from a doctor with appropriate equipment??) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZp7YX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZp7WX...jpg&name=small As the 4 jewels fly up and create a vortex, the heroes arrive. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZp7VX...jpg&name=small While Ikkaku and Ikki decide to escort the princess back to the castle, the Hayate trio note that it?s up to them to stop Oiranda from destroying the world wih her ?Lover?s Suicide?. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZ3itX...jpg&name=small And Aunja steps up to stop them. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZ3i3X...jpg&name=small The trio throw away their clothes to reveal their ninja outfits, as battle commences. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZ3ikX...jpg&name=small Back in the present, the Hurricanegers and Gouraigers return to the new Ninja Base. (And it becomes clear that the actors weren?t available for these scenes during filming) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZ_v_X...jpg&name=small And unfortunately, the time travel app overloaded, so they can?t sent them back to join the battle. But Kirara has an idea. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZ_v7X...jpg&name=small We then get a meaningful view of a modified Hurricane Gyro with a unique Shinobi Medal (buy the toys). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gZ_v_X...jpg&name=small Back in the past, Oiranda reveals that her lover was none other than Tau Zant. (How did that relationship work? Actually, I don?t want to know) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gaKMMX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gaKMJX...jpg&name=small She fell in love with him for saving her from the life of being a prostitute (and she was only the 3rd Hidden Spear? I?m thinking that she wasn?t as important as she thinks she is), and she was distraught when he died. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gaKMGX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gaKNXX...jpg&name=small Believing that no-one can understand her pain, Oiranda plans to destroy the whole planet in her Lover?s Suicide so she can reunite with Tau Zant in Hell. (But wouldn?t destroying the planet 180 years before he died just undo the death? I?m not sure she?s thought this through) It?s at this point that the Ikazuchi Bros return, wielding a frickin cannon. (Ok, this is now the most awesome scene in this movie) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gaUPwX...jpg&name=small It turns out that the pair left her to cover the rest of the way on foot, so they could help the Hayate Trio. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gadopX...jpg&name=small Younosuke is surprised they listened to her. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gado1X...jpg&name=small After Ikkaku meekly implies that the three have rubbed off on him, the 5 stand together for the first time against Oiranda?s mad scheme. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gadorX...jpg&name=small And to raise the stakes, the Princess returns to the castle to request aid, only for the Lord to tell her they can?t send any. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3ganXiX...jpg&name=small The heroes quickly come up with and execute a plan: grab one of the 4 stones so the ritual can?t be completed. And luckily enough, they grabbed the Sky Stone. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3ganXlX...jpg&name=small A several minutes long game of keep away ensues. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3ganXrW...jpg&name=small But in the end, Oiranda recovers the gem thanks to Aunja?s Uchuu Ninpo: Kumo no Mai (which does not give its victim a spider tattoo that gradually kills them) and proceeds with the ritual. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gax5GX...jpg&name=small But to even the playing field, Oboro and Kirara teleport the new model Hurricane Gyro (buy the toys) to Younosuke, for him to use. (That?s what him expressing interest in using the Hurrcane Gyro earlier set up.) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gax4-X...jpg&name=small Putting it on transforms the Shinobi Medal to better match the toy, as Younosuke Shinobi Changes. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gax5LX...jpg&name=small Younosuke: Yo, yo, yo! Let those of you far away hear this! Come close and take a look! I am? crossing time? crossing fate? The hearts of these warriors have become one! Shippu! Jinrai! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3ga5vFX...jpg&name=small He then demonstrates his power by wiping out the Magerappas with Chou Ninpo: Oedo Shippu Zan. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3ga5uNX...jpg&name=small Aunja then decides to run in, bragging of his invincibility ?That my friend is a death flag) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbErJX...jpg&name=small But it does. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbErOX...jpg&name=small Younosuke then finishes him off with Chou Ninpo: Oedo Hurricane. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbErGX...jpg&name=small His has the secondary effect of destroying the Sky Stone, rendering Oiranda?s planet wide Lover?s Suicide impossible (and neatly wrapping up a time loop regarding its destruction). This just makes her mad enough to don a mask (allowing the suit actress for Hurricane Blue to get paid for another role). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbErGX...jpg&name=small Putting the mask on causes her to transform into a giant CGI spider (ok two things here. 1) it still looks better than Hibiki?s giant spider and 2) I think I answered my own question regarding her love life with Tau Zant). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbQbTX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbQbVX...jpg&name=small After a brief scuffle, Younosuke defeats her with the combined powers of all the modern day Ninjas. Even Shurikenger. Younosuke: Shippu! Jinrai! Tenkuu! Chou-Nin-Ken! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbQbTX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbQbWX...jpg&name=small With Oiranda gone, the 3 remaining stones then scatter throughout space (so does that mean there are two versions of those three stones now?) and the Oedo Gyro returns to the future (or disintegrates. It?s not clear which) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbfCpW...jpg&name=small And in one last cut to the present, Kirara explains that simply bringing the Time Stone to Earth fixed any and all paradoxes preemptively. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbfDcX...jpg&name=small And at the castle, the alliy character see the sky return to normal and celebrate. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbfDaX...jpg&name=small And in case you?re not convince the Lord is Shurikenger?s actor, he does the Fire Mode transformation? with his jacket. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbmENX...jpg&name=small And we end with the Hayate Trio and Ikazuchi Bros making peace and deciding to become allies. (But given that their schools were still bitter enemies by 2002/Heisei Year 14, this won?t last past their lifetimes) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F3gbmEQX...jpg&name=small Final thoughts: While there were some things I would?ve liked out of this (like a bit more involvement from the modern heroes), the film itself is overall solid and more internally consistent that 10YA (admittedly, most of my confusion over that came from a bad sub, but regardless). I?d definitely recommend this to fans of Hurricaneger, or Sentai in general. |
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