|
Community Links |
Members List |
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
|
Thread Tools |
02-28-2022, 03:22 PM | #11 |
Dai Shogun
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Germany
Posts: 7,526
|
I liked watching Zenkaiger, I think it was tons of fun. Overall I like Kiramager and Zyuohger better, so it ranks third for me currently.
What I still don't get is, why god? Looking back it I guess most of the time Gege does stuff it was actually god? See, the problem I have with this is that god isn't brought into the picture much later in the show, so when he starts moving I assumed it was Gege calling himself a god to screw with the Zenkaigers. So when the finale arrived I expected Gege to betray Boccowaus and become the real final boss. I was kind of confused when the god thing actually turned out to be real. I don't really get why they did that. Is it bad? Not necessarily, Kaito dealing with god to free the worlds was actually much nicer of a finale than the usual big boss fight, which is almost always predictable and boring. I guess when you watch the show again it might be more obvious? But I found this to be a rather strange direction to go in. But again, I still liked it; I was just confused when rather out of nowhere we're dealing with actual god. |
02-28-2022, 04:20 PM | #12 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,270
|
Part 2.
So my personal cons. First off, was the the plot. Now TBF I knew that sorta thing going in, given the writer on the show Junko Komura, who also did Zyuohger and LuPat, which were also light on plot. Sure, there was the goal of getting Kaito's parents back, but there was a lack of focus on that part. Isao sure had a plot surrounding it, but the only significance of any importance of it only happened was with the episode that he was free. Mitsuko was only just an episode, and just randomly showed up in the penultimate episode just so they can close off the plot line before the show ended, compared to LuPat, where the Lupinrangers goal was defeating Zamigo and freeing their loved ones. While not being plot heavy, over the course of the show, they would get stronger through trials and tribulations and working hard towards that goal. Zenkaiger was not as impactful as LuPat when it came to the loved ones story arc. Story isn't Komura's strength, but her strength came in the characters...which sadly was lacking, in terms of the main cast. The thing was in terms of characters, they didn't really have a lot of focus narrative wise. there were more subtle changes like Magine going from someone shy to outgoing by the end, but characters like Juran and Vroon didn't really change all that much. Kaito was more your standard hero, not much to say. Gaon was someone I thought would get some significant development. His character is that he likes animals and people, but doesn't like or outright hates Kikainoids, which is what he and his other Kikainoid teammates are. That includes being distant and cold towards the team besides Kaito, with Juran being the most vocal about it. So I figured that during the course of the show, he would gradually start warming up to the team and by the end, be buddies with his fellow Kikainoids. But instead a neat idea doesn't get explored as much, and it only takes a single episode, close to the halfway point, is when he finally accepts the Kikainoids in the Zenkaigers and...that's it. Lastly, God. A character that was not built up or had hints through out the show, instead having some significance in the show's last leg. I thought it was a cop out to a neat idea of Gege secretly wanting to take over and be the final adversary of Zenkaiger. I don't know if they want to make this God being a permanent Sentai character going forward, given the fact "Kaito" is in DonBrothers. Anyway, it's a decent enough show and hopefully, emphasis on hopefully given Toshiki Inoue's recent track record, Donbrothers will be good, as it's said will be more serialized compared to prior Sentai's. Last edited by IndigoArms; 03-01-2022 at 12:27 PM.. |
02-28-2022, 10:12 PM | #13 |
New Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 40
|
Its god. Its even stated by Kaito,"I hope you take care of the worlds you create. It would be more fun that way." It would also explain why it seems like they have the Geartlinger technology.
It also seems like it would follow the mythology given that the legend of momotaro starts off with gods bestowing a gift. Last edited by MadScientistWorkin; 02-28-2022 at 10:15 PM.. |
03-01-2022, 09:02 AM | #14 |
take me to space
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,406
|
Gonna say this here while its on my mind, but the single funniest, laugh-out-loud moment I had with this show was the Jetman Gear against Romance World (though that same episode's mecha fight is also pretty close, and coming up close to those is Pumpkin [or was it Halloween? Whatever!] World's surprise comback).
Overall best episode for me, across all factors be it funny and/or cool, I think I would give it to the Vacation World episode (Tennis being a strong runner up). Last edited by FreshToku; 03-01-2022 at 09:18 AM.. |
03-04-2022, 09:08 PM | #15 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
|
There was a thought that popped into my head some months ago that hasn't left since, and it goes something like this: "I'm not going to get to see Magine every week anymore!" I know, I know: that's the last character you'd ever expect me to bring up when talking about Zenkaiger. But as much as I occasionally like to flatter myself by pretending I have to try to be this blatantly obsessed, it wasn't until I phrased it that way in my head that I was able to process the idea that Zenkaiger was actually going to have an ending. I somehow get the feeling I won't even be alone in this, but part of me was legitimately convinced this series would just go on for the rest of eternity. If Koumura could write a little under 50 episodic adventures this wacky and charming with a cast this likable, what was going to stop her from writing, say, a hundred, or a thousand? Well, a lot of things would stop her, thinking about it rationally! Chief among them is the simple fact that these shows are generally designed to wrap up and make way for the next one. But even after I realized the day would come where I wouldn't get to see what this team was up to the next week, even after they literally had the star of the next series make a guest appearance, there was still a part of me that wasn't quite getting the memo. It speaks to just how endearing a world the staff of this show have created, I think. It's difficult for me to imagine these guys going away for more than 14 days at the longest, in a way that I'm not sure I've ever felt about any other Sentai since I started watching back during Gokaiger. Zenkaiger was truly something special, and as such, if it *must* have an ending, I could only hope that said ending was just as special in its own right. And fortunately for me, Zenkaiger has never been a show that disappoints. This was a really unorthodox way for a Sentai series to go out, and it's also the smallest, most intimate episode this particular series has ever had, which is maybe the smartest choice they could've made. Right out of the gate, when they're actively teasing the viewer with Secchan's awkward silence, I knew I was in for a real treat. This is a show that knows its formula, and it knows how to break that formula in an impactful way. A toy bird having nothing to say is both a great twist, and even a little uneasy to watch, all because Zenkaiger was so consistent throughout its run. It's strange for things to be this silent. It's way too neat. Too cleanly, and while it's not much of a mystery to the viewer why that would be the case, it makes for a nice sense of atmosphere to the initial stretch of the episode. You want the *noise* back. You want Kaito to realize that he wants the noise back! You want to see him walk right up to the highest possible authority and demand a return to the status quo, and that's exactly what he does... which gets us a final battle in a Super Sentai show that consists of one man in a room awkwardly talking to himself while his parents and grandmother spectate dumbfoundedly. This is the kind of creativity that made me fall in love with Zenkaiger. I occasionally gave thought to potential ways the show would end, and even once it was clear God was a character in this show, this outcome was not even remotely similar to anything I guessed. But it's a great final fight, against all odds! Again, while you could try and go bigger than ever and probably make it work, going small for this series is a much rarer and more notable happening to begin with. I absolutely adored how personal this whole episode was, and how true it stayed to everything that makes Zenkaiger what it is. First of all, you've got the human leader of the team hogging the spotlight, and a villain with an interesting twist that was only revealed in the endgame after foreshadowing so subtle it seems to exist solely so Koumura can prove she didn't make it up on the fly, This isn't actually important, but I just find it adorable how predictable that much was, as a fan of her toku stuff. I mentioned right in the premiere's thread that I expected to forget about innocuous lines that turned out to be important, and guess who never registered the significance of Gege's "sweet" voice? There are a couple stylistic things about the Kaito/God scenes that I really appreciated too. Much like with Kamen Rider Saber, it especially felt right for the series to deliberately set a climactic moment against a green screen, because more than usual, that was a key part of the show's production. Like, I legitimately associate fake backgrounds with the visual identity of Zenkaiger. It's the substance of the scenes that matters the most though, and they absolutely nailed that part. More particularly, Kiita Komagine nailed those parts. I kind of had to remind myself I wasn't actually looking at two separate people, because even though the entire point is that it's Kaito times two, they feel so convincingly like different entities that just looking the same ends up counting for less than you'd expect. And of course, the characters really are polar opposites. While the visuals of the Zenkaisers fighting are very inspired, with the seamless transitions between locations and how the show's other heroes are incorporated, it's that fundamental argument between the two of them that makes the finale as great as it is. In the most Shirakura possible way, Kaito argues that there's more value in embracing chaos than keeping things in order just for the sake of it, and in the most Koumura possible way, he makes that argument because the idea of giving up all the connections he's made and the things he's gained from them is unthinkable to him. I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this explicitly, but in a lot of ways, Zenkaiger really did feel like a direct sequel to Koumura's work writing Zyuohger, in a thematic sense. It deals with that same concept of people from different walks of life finding common ground, and learning to live together in harmony, and the beauty of that variety, and, well, all that stuff that was just as appropriate for the anniversary of a team superhero show five years ago as it is for the anniversary of a team superhero show right now. It's as simple a message as can be, but it's like, are you gonna complain about that? I know I'm not! There's just no other way you'd want the show to end, right? We were subjected to this weird, dull world where everything is all normal, and in the end, Kaito successfully fights for his right to see new places and meet new people, and he wins that fight in the most Zenkaiger possible fashion: the game of rock paper scissors that saved all the worlds. (An idea Koumura apparently got after seeing an adlib joke from Kaito and Zox in episode 33. Only in Zenkaiger would basing the finale around something like that work.) I really loved how amiable the battle ends up being, with God gracefully admitting defeat, having been won over by Kaito's innate charm and gumption. Kaito's parting words to God are also basically a thesis statement for the entirety of Zenkaiger. You keep discovering new things, you cherish those experiences, and you have fun while you're doing it. There's maybe a Shirakura anniversary show meta reading you could make about all of this, if you want, where it's like Kaito is arguing as a fan of Super Sentai that those worlds hold meaning that goes beyond the intentions of a creator making them almost as a matter of habit more than anything. I don't know. I kinda wanted to do that for a second, and then there's also that whole Koumura Zyuohger angle you could probably dig into more, but like, right now, none of that feels very important. I feel like by talking about that stuff, I'm doing a disservice to how satisfying a resolution this already is purely on the surface level alone. It's really not any surprise I went with the screencap I did here, is it? This big weird family all piled on each other in one happy mess? Of course that's the note I want to put front and center before I even start saying anything. That picture is worth far more than the thousand plus words I've written so far could ever be. This was a sweet finale, in more than one sense of the word. It was great to see everyone get their happy ending, it was great to see Kaito directly wishing the viewers well, and it's even greater to know that somewhere out there, this team is always going to be doing what they do best, whether we get to see it or not. (This is also as good a spot as I can think of to mention what I honestly think might be the coolest thing about the whole episode. The suit actors are credited as their characters! I mentioned this way back in the thread for the second episode as something I wanted to see, because it drives me a little crazy Sentai and Rider don't do that to begin with, and it was even more questionable in a show where four of them are doing so much extra work. So congratulations to Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Masato Tsutamune, Ayumi Shimozono, Kazuya Okada, Masashi Takada, Shigeki Itou, and Hajime Kanzaki! You guys pulled off a true world first here!) I definitely do hope we see some of those further adventures though, somewhere down the line. Saying "goodbye" to Zenkaiger is hard, but I think I can manage a "see you later" a lot easier. That's just sort of the legacy I want this show to have. The way I see it, this group of characters could and should be returning in some fashion every now and then, because I feel that, just like a certain group of one human and four colorful suited characters from a certain other toku show Shirakura produced, the Zenkaigers have that sort of potential. They made their own show this much fun, and if you let them interact with other shows, then I guarantee you those worlds will become a lot more fun too. Come on, it's exactly what Kaito wanted. They'll be so perfectly suited to functioning as guest characters that younger viewers will be surprised to find out a cast this wild were ever meant to be the stars of an actual "dramatic" series, and if they go back to watch that series as a result, it's my most sincere hope that they recognize it as the brilliant work that it is. Zenkaiger is truly the cream of the crop. From start to finish, I was regularly floored by the level of passion, detail, and overall talent with which it was made. It took being silly seriously, and in doing so, it became a series I'd argue without hesitation deserves to be in the conversation when people start arguing what the best Sentai shows of all time are. Maybe that's hyperbole, but I don't care. I honestly believe Zenkaiger accomplished something spectacular, and it didn't do it by being more serialized than the rest, or more mature, or more edgy, or any of those other orthodox ways to get people to praise a narrative. Zenkaiger was decidedly unorthodox, very warm and welcoming, unrepentantly childish, and it always lived in the moment, and because of all that, it showed how all those things can be just as worthy of praise. I'm not sure how much fun it was reading me ramble about this show for a whole year. I mean, I have doubts like this a lot, so it's probably nothing, but to be totally honest, there were more than a few times where I worried I was just kind of repeating the same thing every week, and thus doing a disservice to how Koumura was managing not to fall into that trap. But the thing is, I really wanted to talk about Zenkaiger the whole year. This is the only Sentai aside from Kyuranger, if I'm even remembering that right, that I actually posted in every single episode thread for. I had this whole thing going every week, and the Zenkai Tour, and it was this whole fun routine for me, and that's why it's weird to be bidding it farewell after all this time. Why it's weird to think the next new episode of Super Sentai probably won't have Magine in it. It's almost painful to think about, so I guess the only thing to do is stop thinking that way. I fell a bit behind on writing this post, and part of that was because the day I actually watched the finale the first time, I also spent a ton of time reading through the final "Zenkai Memorandum" on Toei's site, the usual big celebratory blog thing every series gets with the final comments from the cast and everything. It was really long! The author makes a joke worrying about how excessively long it ended up being (around 17,000 characters), which was all kinds of relatable. (I'm comfortably over 12,000 right now.) So that sort of soothed my soul a bit while I was trying to process the emotions the last episode left me with. What helped even more was a bit so good I'm just going to parrot it right here, because I think it sums up what happens when a show like this ends better than anything I can come up with. This may be the end of the series, but, you see... This is only the beginning! The beginning of your lives with Zenkaiger! That's right! The rest of your lives! Whenever you eat Kashiwamochi, you'll think of Zenkaiger! Whenever you're trying to decide between Udon and Soba, you'll think of Zenkaiger! Whenever you're on vacation! Whenever you're watching Jetman!* Whenever New Year's comes around! Whenever you're playing tennis! Whenever the time, no matter what you're doing, you'll think of Zenkaiger. *Having just watched Jetman's finale for the first time yesterday, I can already verify this one! So with that being said, I'm not going to bother thinking about saying goodbye to this show. See you later, Zenkaiger.
__________________
|
03-04-2022, 09:19 PM | #16 |
Stronger Than You
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: nyet
Posts: 25,326
|
Honestly, aside from these final two episodes wrapping things up nicely, I feel Zenkaiger walking down the same path as Zyuohger was a nice call. The greater focus on the characters just living their lives once again helped make the cast feel much more memorable and loveable.
A gathering of misfits doing what they can to have a life worth living and growing together makes for such a dynamic team, and add in a hell of a strong side cast, and it's hard to go wrong. I will forever have my misgivings about how the final two episodes played out, but ultimately, there really wasn't much of another way. They could've opted to cram in more fighting for a more "Intense" final battle against Bokkuwas (As the fight against god was perfect), but really, the purpose wasn't to wrap things up in a high energy finale, but one that brings a smile to everyone's face. To see the start of the next chapter of these characters' lives (And thank god they didn't do the one thing I hate, breaking up the team). And, much like Zyuohger, thanks to how the characters resonated, it was very much "I could just watch these doofs for another dozen seasons"
__________________
|
03-05-2022, 06:57 AM | #17 |
Hmm....
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,813
|
I love Zenkaiger series, but I am not fan of final battle because the final battle is quite boring.
I give score 70/100. I really miss Super Sentai final battle using giant robot..... |
03-05-2022, 10:03 AM | #18 |
Standing By
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Posts: 2,089
|
It's a full force world and it's all okay, which means it's time for the final Gear statistics! And this time, I want to encourage some opinions as well.
1st place: Dairanger 2nd place: Sun Vulcan, Dynaman, Jetman, Hurricanger, Shinkenger, Goseiger, Zyuohger, Kyuranger and Kiramager Unused in Geartlinger: JAKQ, Gingaman, Abaranger, Gekiranger and Go-Onger So how does everybody feel about this? Is there a Gear you really wanted to see used in a certain way? A Gear you wished was used more? A Gear you thought was used too much? What was your favorite Gear? Your least favorite Gear? Do you hope to see any Gears used in Zenkaiger VS Kiramager VS Sempaiger? Quote:
Quote:
What I still don't get is, why god? Looking back it I guess most of the time Gege does stuff it was actually god? See, the problem I have with this is that god isn't brought into the picture much later in the show, so when he starts moving I assumed it was Gege calling himself a god to screw with the Zenkaigers. So when the finale arrived I expected Gege to betray Boccowaus and become the real final boss.
Strange that they never possessed Juran though. Quote:
Its god. Its even stated by Kaito,"I hope you take care of the worlds you create. It would be more fun that way." It would also explain why it seems like they have the Geartlinger technology.
It also seems like it would follow the mythology given that the legend of momotaro starts off with gods bestowing a gift. Quote:
I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this explicitly, but in a lot of ways, Zenkaiger really did feel like a direct sequel to Koumura's work writing Zyuohger, in a thematic sense. It deals with that same concept of people from different walks of life finding common ground, and learning to live together in harmony, and the beauty of that variety, and, well, all that stuff that was just as appropriate for the anniversary of a team superhero show five years ago as it is for the anniversary of a team superhero show right now. It's as simple a message as can be, but it's like, are you gonna complain about that? I know I'm not!
Quote:
There's maybe a Shirakura anniversary show meta reading you could make about all of this, if you want, where it's like Kaito is arguing as a fan of Super Sentai that those worlds hold meaning that goes beyond the intentions of a creator making them almost as a matter of habit more than anything. I don't know. I kinda wanted to do that for a second, and then there's also that whole Koumura Zyuohger angle you could probably dig into more, but like, right now, none of that feels very important. I feel like by talking about that stuff, I'm doing a disservice to how satisfying a resolution this already is purely on the surface level alone.
A year ago, I watched a red Kikainoid feared by humans for an invasion he had nothing to do with. But he refused to let that stop him from doing what's right, as he bravely put himself in front of an attack to save an innocent kid. I'll always remember that important moment, cause I knew then that this was going to be a story that reminded people of the true meaning of heroism and justice. That's what Zenkaiger means to me and I'm grateful that it exists.
__________________
心 と 刃 |
03-05-2022, 11:10 AM | #19 |
Dai Shogun
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Germany
Posts: 7,526
|
Quote:
This is only the beginning! The beginning of your lives with Zenkaiger!
That's right! The rest of your lives! Whenever you eat Kashiwamochi, you'll think of Zenkaiger! Whenever you're trying to decide between Udon and Soba, you'll think of Zenkaiger! Whenever you're on vacation! Whenever you're watching Jetman!* Whenever New Year's comes around! Whenever you're playing tennis! Whenever the time, no matter what you're doing, you'll think of Zenkaiger. *Having just watched Jetman's finale for the first time yesterday, I can already verify this one! So with that being said, I'm not going to bother thinking about saying goodbye to this show. See you later, Zenkaiger. "Kikai 11:33" Quote:
I like the whole "God" thing for how it played out, I just wish it was implemented better. Just drop some hints earlier, that's all I needed really. Quote:
Even god doesn't want to deal with back pain. Quote:
A year ago, I watched a red Kikainoid feared by humans for an invasion he had nothing to do with. But he refused to let that stop him from doing what's right, as he bravely put himself in front of an attack to save an innocent kid. I'll always remember that important moment, cause I knew then that this was going to be a story that reminded people of the true meaning of heroism and justice. That's what Zenkaiger means to me and I'm grateful that it exists.
Last edited by Kiwami; 03-05-2022 at 11:15 AM.. |
03-05-2022, 03:08 PM | #20 |
Standing By
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Posts: 2,089
|
Quote:
Exactly. Since God never identified itself as such before, I thought it was actually Gege in Stacey's body calling himself that to confuse the Zenkaigers and eventually guide them to defeat Boccowaus for him. Which, all things considered, would've made more sense.
I like the whole "God" thing for how it played out, I just wish it was implemented better. Just drop some hints earlier, that's all I needed really. There was a point where Juran and Vroon were tied for my favorite Zenkaiger. But man, when I think about that scene and how Juran is always the wise voice of reason for the others, I have to call him my favorite of the team.
__________________
心 と 刃 |
|
TokuNation News & Rumors |
Figuarts/Seihou GRIDMAN |
SH Figuarts BoonBoomger Red |
Hasbro Licenses Power Rangers Toys to Playmates Toys |
Discotek Media Licenses Mobile Cop Jiban |
What's going on with CSM? |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:43 PM.
|