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01-08-2021, 12:27 PM | #401 |
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Join Date: Sep 2019
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(Super) Samurai Pre-Show Preamble Samurai was the first season where I actively kept up with the fanbase as it aired, making it quite the interesting experience for me. Probably the most interesting aspect to me in terms of that was how alot of people liked it at first, but opinions on it seemed to lower with every episode. And what made that interesting to me was how these opinions were lowering despite the show seeming to go out of its way to address the early complaints that the fanbase had. For example, people complained that it was too similar to Shinkenger, so come Super where the show started to divert and differentiate itself more? Complaints actually only seemed to increase, with many of the same people now complaining it should be doing what Shinkenger did. My personal opinion when it comes to things like this, and it's one I've found that not many have, is that as long as the writing and characters make sense within their own context, I really don't care if a given season of Power Rangers is a copypaste of its Sentai counterpart or not. We've had seasons that are copypastes(Time Force), and those that are completely different(RPM) that are both equally as popular, and ones that I've found myself enjoying regardless. With that out of the way, allow me to just say that personally, I find Samurai to actually be pretty underrated. It's not without its flaws: Poor directing in the early episodes, a few character arcs that are mishandled(Deker and Kevin), the forced hiatuses from Nickelodeon... But for me, the strengths overall outweighed the weaknesses. Bringing in Bulk and Spike was a good move for the comedic aspect of the show, the fights were intense, the villains struck just the right balance of silly and threatening, the overall theme of family and subverting expectations was nicely done, and the show gave me my favorite Gold Ranger: Antonio. Plus, while not many fans like to admit it, Samurai was an overall success with its target demographic. And I knew it would be, because here's the thing. There are people who like to insist that Shinkenger was unadaptable, but like, Samurai aired in 2011. By this point, cartoons and anime had become mainstream, and shows like Samurai Jack and Rurouni Kenshin were very popular. Kids knew what Samurai were, and were seen as every bit as cool as Ninja. I bring up alot of fandom aspects here because, well, over the years, the episode I decided was my favorite has been looked down upon by alot of people, no thanks in part to a certain internet critic who I won't be name-dropping. Thus, I feel like I'm gonna have to do alot of defending on this one. My personal favorite episode of Power Rangers Samurai is... Episode 14: Room for One More This episode directly follows Antonio's' debut, and details his efforts to become officially seen as the Sixth Samurai Ranger. This episode is also all about one of Samurai's' overall themes: That doing something solely for the sake of tradition is, often times, total crap. The episode starts off with the team discussing Antonio, and trying to figure how exactly he managed to become a Samurai Ranger, despite not coming from one of the Five Families. Half the team says they should say screw the rules and let him join the team, while the other half says they think he'd be more of a burden than a help. Jayden, while speaking fondly of his friend, is undecided. how i imagine die dresses at work One thing that I've always loved about Antonio is just how much personality he has. He's energetic, he's fun, he has a huge devotion to the people he cares about, and he's able to adapt and think on his feet rather quickly. Alot of his antics also helped give me a giggle; It's a simple joke, but the bit where he rips his pants with his fishing pole never fails to get a chuckle out of me. It makes a nice contrast to Jayden, whom is oftentimes very stoic and to the point; They play off eachother rather well, I think! At the "interview" Antonio gives us his origin in how he became the Gold Samurai, and we actually get some nice flashbacks detailing how the friendship between him and Jayden started, as well as a look into Jayden's' more rebellious side, with him giving Antonio the Octozord as a present, and threatening that he'd quit being a Samurai if Ji tried to get it back. It's a nice enough moment that makes the devotion these two have to eachother entirely believable. In the midst of this, Jayden is still torn. He very clearly still cares about Antonio, but he also doesn't want his best friend getting hurt, and is worried about what it might mean in terms of how it'd look to his family and the other Samurai. This leads to Master Ji, seeing how hard this is for Jayden, deciding to handle it himself and making a decision that would lead into what would become one of Samurai's' most infamous moments. Ji decides to reject Antonio as a member of the team, and takes away his Morpher. Many a fan nowadays cry foul, and like to say the entire episode is bad because of this singular moment. Some have gone even farther than that and use this moment as a way to try and prove that the writing for the season in general is terrible. I disagree, and I'll do my best to provide many an example as to why. Firstly, the show does not portray what Ji did as a good thing. No one celebrates the decision, Antonio rightly protests being denied what's his, and Jayden himself even makes it clear that he's not happy with the decision, and is trying to do what he thinks is best for not just his team, but his best friend as well. There's also the single scene with Bulk and Spike in the entire episode, showing that just like his father once did, Spike has the hots for the Pink Ranger. It works well enough as a humorous callback. After the first fight with Steeleto, the other four Rangers decide to talk things out with Antonio and Jayden. And in a nice moment, we see that Jayden actually stole Antonio's' Morpher back from Ji, showing that there's still a side of him that wants Antonio to stay around. It's here that Jayden makes his decision. Screw what Ji says and to heck with the rules. Antonio is his friend and has more than proven himself, and deserves every right to be a fellow Samurai. Friendship and hard work are far more important than anything tradition has to say. And in another nice moment, we actually see that, upon seeing all of this, Ji actually nods in approval, meaning that he was actually testing the resolve of both Jayden and Antonio all along. Stuff like this is why I never understood the critique that "Ji never does any actual mentoring." He very much does, he's just alot more subtle about it than what the series typically does. And to me, it was clear from the moment he saw Jayden downtrodden that he knew what had to be done, even if it would lead to some hurt feelings on the part of the two Rangers involved. Either Antonio and Jayden rise to the challenge, bringing in a new Ranger, or they go their separate ways, but in the end keeping Antonio safe. Leading into the final fight with Steeleto, I love the gag where Antonio doesn't have a proper place to stand in the starting lineup, since the team is used to only having to make space for the five of them. Just the visual alone makes me smile. The fight itself is good too, showing off the teamwork Jayden and Antonio have, as well as some more awesome super speed from the Gold Ranger. A new Megazord configuration is also unlocked. Side tangent: I also never understood why fans complain that "Mega Mode is never explained." My response to that is "Does it need to be?" Coming from someone with a total smooth brain who misses alot of details, to me it was always clear right from the mode's' debut that these suits are how the Megazord synchronizes with the Ranger's' movements and intentions, G-Gundam style. "Show don't tell" is definitely something Samurai pulled off with this specific aspect, if you ask me. After the battle, we see that Antonio, coming from a fisherman's' family, knows how to cook! And it's also here that a small moment that a ton of people tend to forget happens in this episode: Ji actually outright apologizes for what he did, admitting that it might not've been the best way to achieve the end result. In other words, Ji also learned a lesson, and once again, the show does not try to say he was 100% justified in what he did to Antonio. Overall I like this episode a bunch, because it lays the foundation for alot of things. Sure, the directing on alot of the actors is weak, but other than that, I dug it alot. It further develops both Antonio and Jayden, offers a nice lesson about how introducing new ideas can help strengthen any operation, and as always, the action is slick and fun to watch. Even if everyone else hates this episode because of one of moment that even the show says isn't fully justified, it's an episode I'll always look at fondly. After-Show Bonus: I love the Samurai theme song, but man is hindsight 20/20, because come 2020, the team behind Battle For The Grid made an original theme for Lauren Shiba that really, REALLY fits the show a ton and makes me wish we'd gotten it as the theme song instead. Check it out:
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Last edited by DreamSword; 12-09-2023 at 08:40 AM.. |
01-08-2021, 07:45 PM | #402 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
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I really enjoyed seeing you stick up for Samurai here, because that's another show I very rarely, if ever, see people have nice things to say about. It's another one I also have a bit of a soft spot for, since it was the start of a new era for PR that also happened to be airing right as I was getting into the wider world of tokusatsu. For as many problems as even I had/have with the show, I won't lie, it always made me smile seeing a prominent credit for Yasuko Kobayashi during an episode of a Power Rangers series.
It wasn't a show that ever rose to greatness, but in retrospect, I find myself easing up more and more on it, especially knowing now that it did in fact strike a chord with the intended audience, which is what counts. And I agree Antonio is a cool dude! I even felt the need to call this out in a post a bit back in the thread I made when Twitch did that huge marathon of the entire franchise to promote the movie coming out: Quote:
Finally, Antonio is great. I mean, this isn't a new thought, I've felt this way since the second he showed up back in 2011, but man, what a shot in the arm he was for Samurai. He brought a ton of energy and charisma to a show that was frequently very dull, and his whole backstory and personality make him super relatable and super likable. Even his stupid Dora the Explorer speech quirks manage to be endearing. He kind of transcends the mediocre show he's in and might actually be one of my favorite Sixth Rangers, which is pretty crazy.
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01-08-2021, 08:07 PM | #403 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,461
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Quote:
I really enjoyed seeing you stick up for Samurai here, because that's another show I very rarely, if ever, see people have nice things to say about. It's another one I also have a bit of a soft spot for, since it was the start of a new era for PR that also happened to be airing right as I was getting into the wider world of tokusatsu. For as many problems as even I had/have with the show, I won't lie, it always made me smile seeing a prominent credit for Yasuko Kobayashi during an episode of a Power Rangers series.
Man, this goes to show just how late I was in getting into the Toku-sphere outside of PR and Toku Anime. I didn't start seeing stuff like Kamen Rider until Ninja Steel started airing. Quote:
It wasn't a show that ever rose to greatness, but in retrospect, I find myself easing up more and more on it, especially knowing now that it did in fact strike a chord with the intended audience, which is what counts.
Quote:
And I agree Antonio is a cool dude! I even felt the need to call this out in a post a bit back in the thread I made when Twitch did that huge marathon of the entire franchise to promote the movie coming out:
Glad to see someone else loves Antonio too! Whenever anyone asks who the best Ranger in Samurai is, most people tend to default to Mike. And I like Mike, but man, Antonio's' arc and the personality that Steven Skyler gives him just make him incredibly likeable overall. And as a Latino, the random Spanish always gave me a smile, haha.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 05-04-2021 at 11:17 PM.. |
01-09-2021, 04:32 AM | #404 |
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Join Date: Oct 2019
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As for a very, very rubbish compliment, Samurai is not quite my least favourite series, it is merely near the bottom for me around Mystic Force territory but at least it was a close adaptation of a show I actually liked a lot!
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01-09-2021, 02:16 PM | #405 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
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Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,461
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Neo-Saban Halloween Specials I have no idea why, but I just kinda woke up today and decided I wanted to watch all of these? It was actually a good thing to do, because it helped me give a quick way in showing just how much the Era had evolved as it went on. For those who might've skipped these, the Neo-Saban Halloween Specials are essentially clipshows, typically giving a scenario centered around the holiday for Rangers to recall past adventures. Thing is, I actually found myself enjoying them for the most part despite that, because I've seen clips shows that are literally JUST an assortment of past clips(Tekkaman Blade), or ones that were so sloppily done that they actually made me outright angry(Dragon Knight). So with that said, let's take a trip down memory lane ourselves, and have a brief look at these Halloween Specials and how exactly they handled themselves. The first one comes from Samurai, which is probably the simplest out of all of them. A bunch of Nighloks meet in the afterlife to talk about how they fell to the Rangers. I enjoyed the lampshades they dropped here; From pointing out how the Samurai tend to showboat after Morphing to poking fun at just how freaky alot of the Nighlok designs are. And double points for using clips from the Negatron fight, which was my favorite MOTW of the season. Super Samurai actually brings forth a really good idea when it comes to these: Utilize them to use footage that they otherwise couldn't use in the show proper. From all the Rangers being in goofy outfits to an idol dance sequence, it manages to justify its use of really trippy imagery by being a nightmare sequence for the team. I found this one to be rather fun! Mega Force continues with this idea, but also throwing some original footage into the mix in order to make it play out more like a proper episode. Funnily enough, this episode also has some of the better character moments seen in the show, from Emma being upset that the MOTW interrupted her baking, to Gia hinting she has a crush on Jake, it was done alot better than what I expected it to be! As for the screenshot I chose? That's actually poking fun at how Troy's' actor, Andrew Gray, would frequently fall asleep on set during the show's' production. Nice. Super Mega Force skips the holidays specials. Based on what I know of what went on behind the scenes, I'm assuming it's because by that point everyone involved was sick of working on the show and thus they didn't bother. Dino Charge takes a bit of a step back in that all of the clips used are episodes that we've already seen, but I will give it props for still feeling like an episode of the show proper ontop of presenting a mystery that actually has some very subtle hints to it. Props to Yoshi Sudarso for the subtle acting here; You can notice little facial expressions he does as the episode goes on if you pay attention to him in the background. As for Dino Super Charge, well, I mainly just found this one overall obnoxious. It doesn't really do anything new, Poisandra is annoying as always, and the original fight at the end isn't really much to speak of. Points for bringing Philip back though, and the visual gag that I screencapped did get a laugh out of me. Also Philip totally pulls off that outfit, just saying. And with that, we move onto the last, and, in my opinion, the absolute best clips show that the Era, heck, perhaps even the series so far, has had to offer. The clipshow for Ninja Steel is actually one that I really like alot. It continues the use of using up footage that they didn't find room for before, but this time presents them in a unique context that really makes them feel like part of show's' own universe, without resorting to flashbacks or flash-forwards. And as a fan of board games, the homage to Jumanji was a great touch. Heck, the board game they play? Grave Robber? It's actually just a modified version of Nightmare(later called Atmosfear), which features one of the greatest show hosts ever filmed. And all of the action sequences they use are great, which only helps in making the episode alot more fun to watch. And ontop of it all, it really does feel like a proper episode of the season itself, even offering a lesson that I really dig: That the activity you do with those you care about isn't exactly what's important; it's the time you spend with them that is. Also a sub-lesson about trying out new things, since doing them with your friends can give them an entirely new context. The final special of all of these, the one in Super Ninja Steel, is a little bit of a step down, but I still highly enjoyed it overall. The plot is alot more basic and they brought back to obnoxious Halloween Court, but he new scenes we got to see are all very silly and entertaining to watch, and I like how the Rangers outright lampshade them with lines like "Hey wait, that never happened!" Heck, all the dialogue in this is very on point and in character, and I never felt like my time was being wasted. So... there you go! With this, I hope I could maybe give you a small glimpse as a way the entries in the Neo-Saban Era built off one another. And also why, with the next season I'll be going into, I think of it rather fondly, even if no one else does...
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Last edited by DreamSword; 05-04-2021 at 11:19 PM.. |
01-09-2021, 02:28 PM | #406 |
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Honestly, most of the complaints I see levied at these specials boil down to “it’s a clip show”. To which I say “what’s wrong with a clip show?” Sometimes somebody needs a bit of a recap to what’s been happening. Plus it’s marked as a special, and most shows I watch don’t intend to advance their plots through specials (the one exception I know being Doctor Who and Beast Morphers’ infamous fourth special episode).
I will say that I do agree that Ninja Steel does have the stronger specials of the era. While most of the footage in the first one comes from already adapted episodes, I don’t get that impression from watching it with that context. And the second one does have some of my personal highlights when it comes to jokes (the barbershop pumpkins for one) in addition to being bolstered by some good action courtesy of a late game Sentai episode (which always up the action quota in the fight scenes). |
01-09-2021, 02:28 PM | #407 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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Quote:
Super Samurai actually brings forth a really good idea when it comes to these: Utilize them to use footage that they otherwise couldn't use in the show proper. From all the Rangers being in goofy outfits to an idol dance sequence, it manages to justify its use of really trippy imagery by being a nightmare sequence for the team. I found this one to be rather fun! It's also really funny to me because they straight up used source footage of ShinkenPink untransformed as Samurai Pink untransformed. I'm sure it's happened once or twice in PR before but it's still hilarious to see them do this
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01-09-2021, 03:12 PM | #408 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
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Location: Michigan
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Quote:
Honestly, most of the complaints I see levied at these specials boil down to “it’s a clip show”. To which I say “what’s wrong with a clip show?” Sometimes somebody needs a bit of a recap to what’s been happening. Plus it’s marked as a special, and most shows I watch don’t intend to advance their plots through specials (the one exception I know being Doctor Who and Beast Morphers’ infamous fourth special episode).
Quote:
I will say that I do agree that Ninja Steel does have the stronger specials of the era. While most of the footage in the first one comes from already adapted episodes, I don’t get that impression from watching it with that context. And the second one does have some of my personal highlights when it comes to jokes (the barbershop pumpkins for one) in addition to being bolstered by some good action courtesy of a late game Sentai episode (which always up the action quota in the fight scenes).
Quote:
So I just wanted to comment on this real quick: that's actually not what's going on here. Like most of Samurai this is in fact an extremely straight adaption; the source footage for this is entirely from Shinkenger Returns, which for some reason decided "let's have a new kaijin just trap them in movies", set a little before the finale. The only major difference in Samurai's use of it here aside from cutting certain scenes - as far as I know - is the Halloween framing.
Quote:
It's also really funny to me because they straight up used source footage of ShinkenPink untransformed as Samurai Pink untransformed. I'm sure it's happened once or twice in PR before but it's still hilarious to see them do this
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01-09-2021, 05:32 PM | #409 |
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EDIT: Browser glitched and double posted. Please delete this.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 01-09-2021 at 06:17 PM.. Reason: Double post please delete. |
01-09-2021, 06:16 PM | #410 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
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Location: Michigan
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(Super) Ninja Steel Pre-Show Preamble Oh how the tables have turned. Not too long ago I say I don't get the fandom's' love for Dino Charge, and now you all get to point and me and say "You put Ninja Steel this high up, really?" For those who might not know, while I wouldn't go so far as to say Ninja Steel is out and out hated in the eyes of fans, it's typically seen as a rather weak entry in the franchise, and if nothing else a big step down from Dino Charge. Probably the biggest compliment I've ever seen anyone give the season is that its second season was an overall improvement. Heck, even when it comes to the friend I binged the series with, all he can really muster about the season is "It's okay." But for me... I kinda had the exact opposite reaction? I saw Ninja Steel as a huge improvement not only in terms of comparison to Dino Charge, but for the Neo-Saban Era as a whole. And keep in mind, I'm one of the few who actually likes this Era! Heck, while I still liked it, I actually saw Super as a slight step backward. Odius never earns the upgrade to main villain that she gets, alot of the action was less involving, and most of the show's' most powerful moments were in the first season. Though the return of the rock-based soundtrack and Bulk & Skull theme was very much appreciated. Meanwhile, season 1? Galvanax, while a basic villain, is never annoying and has some of the best fights in the show bar none, the character development for almost the whole cast is really solid, the overall themes of bonds and family are done even better than how Samurai did them, the game show angle made for some very neat justifications and meta-play on how aspects of the PR universe works, and, I know you'll all groan once I say this, but... I loved Victor and Monty as a comedic duo. Not only did I find their slapstick comedy and over the top personalities alot of fun, but I actually got alot of appreciation at how Victor was a Jock but Monty was a Nerd, going against the common portrayal of Nerds always being innocent in media. Take it from a fellow Nerd, I've met other Nerds who are huuugge douchebags, okay? Plus, they're the first male couple in the franchise, and that's gotta count for something, right? Also the show has classic gags that I'll never not love, like this. Yeah... no way I could dislike this show when it has all of that going for it. And hopefully, with my personal favorite episode of Ninja Steel, you all might be able to see where I'm coming from. Today's episode is... Episode 12: Family Fusion We start off with Aiden striking a deal with Ripcon to get the Ninja Power Stars, only for it to be revealed to be a plot by Odius. The whole framework of the plot around Aiden is interesting to me in that, with the way it's presented, I feel like the true nature of what's going on with him isn't so much meant to be a mystery for the audience, but moreso just a mystery directed at the Rangers, Brody especially. Speaking of said Rangers, they're all preparing for the local talent show, with Brody and Aiden noting that they're planning on performing a song that their dad wrote for them when they were kids, setting the stage for a great payoff later. Unfortunately for Victor, his dream of being a matador is cut short, so he instead opts to steal Preston's' hat and take his spot as the magician for the show. Him and Monty then get sucked inside, and I love the visual of the magical hat outright leading to a pocket dimension where a giant rabbit reigns supreme. It's a fun visual! Also a nice way at making sure the clowns won't be interfering with the drama that the episode will go into later on. Ripcon then proceeds to outright murder a bunch of people in the center of town. Like, holy crap, that's something the series hasn't seen in awhile! Once the team scatters to both fight Ripcon and finish the Fusion Star, Aiden tails Levi, discovering where the base is. And I was always a fan of how the base was directly connected to the school, since it's a nice little twist on how the Rangers are able to get to and from it so fast other than teleporting, ontop of being able to hide it much easier thanks to Mick being a teacher. The fight between Ripcon and Brody is really well choreographed, with swift swordplay, dual wielding, some great visuals, and the debut of the Fusion Star, which allows Brody to use Omnislash. What's not to love? Meanwhile, Levi does his best to hold Aiden off, as Aiden's' true nature is revealed. And in a nice bit of characterization, when the rest of the team arrives, Brody is the only one who can't bring himself to open fire on the one whom he thought was his brother this whole time. The ensuing fight also results in Aiden's' stolen memories being transferred back into Levi, something only the audience would be aware of. Again, the way the whole arc is framed, I really feel the mystery is more meant for the characters, not the audience. Odius backstabs Ripcon, essentially telling Galvanax that Ripcon did everything that she'd been doing the entire season, prompting Galvanax to basically send Ripcon off to die. Something that really only works out in her favor thanks to Galvanax being gullible. If there's one villain I dislike most in this show, it's Odius, because it's less that she's a brilliant schemer and more that everyone around her, well, isn't. Such a waste. During a quick scene with the Rangers, Brody's' eyes are totally bloodshot. You can tell this whole situation is really getting to him and he's doing his best not to breakdown infront of his friends. No time to grieve though, because a Gigantified Ripcon is on the loose. The Megazord battle, while brief, is cool enough. The Skullgators combining into a zweihander is really neat, and this battle is also the debut of the Ninja Fusion Megazord. The fight does a good enough job at portraying the new machine as something powerful. The final sequence of the episode is, of course, the talent show! Preston does his typical magic; here pulling Victor and Monty out of his hat(along with the rabbit), but the really standout part of this whole thing happens with Brody and Levi. This... this entire sequence is just absolutely fantastic. The acting, the directing, the editing... this is hands down, without a doubt, the best moment in the entire season for me. Levi's' mind struggling to rebuild itself upon hearing the song, Brody almost breaking down mid song, only for Levi to come in and finish it... it got me right in the feels, dude! Plus, the campfire scene at the end, with not just the two brothers, but the entire team singing the last bit of the song? Absolute perfection, and truly emphasizes that these Rangers have truly come to appreciate eachother not simply as teammates, but as a family. Stuff like this is why I'll always look at Ninja Steel fondly. Sure, it's not the best Ranger season(we still have like half the series to go afterall), but it made alot of really smart decisions throughout its run, with a good handle on atomsphere, character interaction, and the style and flair the series is known for... I don't think I'll ever be able to see eye to eye with those who try to claim that this season was "soulless" or anything like that. Please, if you haven't already, give the show a chance. You might be pleasantly surprised despite the lukewarm reputation that this season has. After-Show Bonus Peter Sudarso is one of the few actors who would get to play multiple Rangers that are entirely different characters. First being here with Preston, the Blue Ninja Steel Ranger, and the second being Marv, the Red Hyper Force Ranger and first Asian Red Ranger in the franchise. And if Hyper Force hadn't already been in the works before he came up with the idea, he would've even been the creator of that show as a whole. Quite the resume for this franchise, I'd say!
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Last edited by DreamSword; 01-26-2021 at 10:15 PM.. |
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