Power Rangers

Christopher · Jul 21, 2018

Well, I've just gotten through the epic, intense episodes 40-42 of Gingaman, some really strong stuff... and the preview for 43 indicates it's a clip show. What a letdown.

Anyway, I'm really impressed by how beautiful the music is in Gingaman. I looked up the composer, Toshihiko Sahashi, and as I thought, it's the same person who scored Carranger, which had some very similar melodies. Wikipedia says he also did Kyoryuger, so maybe I should seek that one out. He also did four Kamen Rider series, Kuuga, Agito, Hibiki, and Den-O. A couple of those are on the list Samurai8472 recommended earlier. Plus some Ultraman and a lot of anime.

Samurai8472 · Jul 21, 2018

Christopher said:
Well, I've just gotten through the epic, intense episodes 40-42 of Gingaman, some really strong stuff... and the preview for 43 indicates it's a clip show. What a letdown.

Anyway, I'm really impressed by how beautiful the music is in Gingaman. I looked up the composer, Toshihiko Sahashi, and as I thought, it's the same person who scored Carranger, which had some very similar melodies. Wikipedia says he also did Kyoryuger, so maybe I should seek that one out. He also did four Kamen Rider series, Kuuga, Agito, Hibiki, and Den-O. A couple of those are on the list Samurai8472 recommended earlier. Plus some Ultraman and a lot of anime.

Just to give you a heads up. It's a bit loud LOL. It was a response to the Go-busters low performance.

There's salsa dancing and loud activation noises. However the music is the soul of the show. The Kyouryger have to dance and harmonize with the earth to transform basically

Still better than Dino Charge in some areas. Daigo/ KyoryuRed gets alot of focus

Den-O is wacky but the time travel implications are compelling thanks to Kamen Rider's more human interactions.

There's a time train, a mysterious owner, four wacky monsters that the protagonist interacts with. Also a train hostess who serves everyone coffee.

Just giving you some facts about them. I don't want to turn you off on something you might grow to like

Here is the play list for Kamen Rider Den-O if you want to take a look

https://vk.com/videos-76914147

Christopher · Jul 22, 2018

Just finished Gingaman, and it's definitely one of my favorites -- certainly the best since Jetman, chronologically. It's got a strong, dramatic storyline, well-drawn characters, a pretty effective cast, and excellent incidental music (though I don't at all care for the title themes, especially the simply awful closing theme). It took a while to get around to finally developing Saya (GingaPink) as a character, but once they did, they were pretty good at avoiding the usual girly stereotypes (though they toyed with them at times) and portraying Saya as an admirably focused and disciplined warrior, a character defined by her profession and values rather than simply her gender. I guess they went for a bit of role reversal there, since Saya was the hardcore fighter and big, burly Gouki was weepy and sentimental and loved to cook. But they never called attention to it as a role reversal or portrayed either one negatively for it.

The villains' plans-of-the-week to try to wake up Demon Beast Ditanix did get kind of repetitive and often silly, but it was a nice touch the way each of the four successive field commanders had a different personality and approach. The most effectively evil plans were those of the third commander, Iliess, because the others were mostly doing things that caused property or environmental damage and threatened humans only incidentally, whereas Iliess's plans all involved preying directly on human victims to drain their energies for her spells. Meanwhile, the tensions and backstabbing among the various commanders and their allies made for a lively soap opera.

Samurai8472 · Jul 26, 2018

Kamen Rider Zi-O officially revealed

Synopsis

Toshihiko Sahashi (Hibiki, Kuga, Den-O, Gundam Seed, Kyuranger) will probably provide the soundtrack again

Kento Shimoyama (Gintama, Ninninger) is writing and Naomi Takebe and Shinichiro Shirakura are producing.

Ninninger was okay. Nothing to really write home about.

Christopher · Jul 26, 2018

Is there a reason why the team-ups apparently tend to focus just on the Heisei-era Kamen Riders and not the earlier ones? Are the Showa and Heisei series in different continuities?

Samurai8472 · Jul 26, 2018

The Heisei era is just more recent to viewers. It's more current/fresh in the mind. In 2009 Kamen Rider decade celebrated the first nine years of the revival. Now we're nearing 20 year of new Kamen Rider series. So Zi-O will celebrate the last 18 years.

One of the bigger movies to pit Showa VS Heisei era was in 2014.

Movie is here

https://openload.co/stream/n9m6BEZ37S8~1532650717~75.162.0.0~LR4NFGMq?mime=true

The original kamen rider actor showed up and super sentai showed up too

There was a sequel in 2015

Super Hero Taisen GP: Kamen Rider 3

http://tokusatsu.wikia.com/wiki/Super_Hero_Taisen_GP:_Kamen_Rider_3

YLu · Jul 26, 2018

Anyone checking out Boom! Studios' Shattered Grid comics? Overall, I find their books run cold and warm but sh***'s really hitting the fan with the latest issue...

Christopher · Jul 26, 2018

Samurai8472 said:
The Heisei era is just more recent to viewers. It's more current/fresh in the mind.

I thought of that, but on the other hand, Gokaiger celebrated the whole history of Super Sentai, not just the recent decades. So I wondered if there was something that made Kamen Rider different. Was it just that there was a gap between the Showa and Heisei runs of the series? While SS has been running continuously, KR was gone for a while and then started up again, so maybe the two eras are perceived as more distinct.

By the way, I'm kind of curious to know what the next period of the Japanese calendar after Heisei will be called, but apparently they don't announce that until a new emperor takes the throne, so I guess we have to wait until May 1 to find out.

Samurai8472 · Jul 26, 2018

Christopher said:
I thought of that, but on the other hand, Gokaiger celebrated the whole history of Super Sentai, not just the recent decades. So I wondered if there was something that made Kamen Rider different. Was it just that there was a gap between the Showa and Heisei runs of the series? While SS has been running continuously, KR was gone for a while and then started up again, so maybe the two eras are perceived as more distinct.

Yeah. That's basically why. Kamen Rider has two eras while sentai has been going nonstop. Almost 20 years since it's return to television

Speaking of Gokaiger. If anyone wants to watch it it's all here

https://vk.com/videos-109993943

The 51st episode seems to require a login. If anyone needs it posted when they get to that point I can do that

Christopher I think you'll like the heroes who are a rag tag team who don't acknowlege themselves as the 35th sentai. The tribute episodes have more thought and care put into them than "Super Megaforce" Although that's not too hard to do LOL

Megaranger and Carranger tributes bring back the original red's. I forgot if the kakuranger one brought back the red ranger

The villains are weak for most of the series.

Samurai8472 · Jul 27, 2018

Kamen Rider Build episode 38

https://vk.com/video-154850906_456239056

Episode 39

https://vk.com/video-154850906_456239057

Episode 40

Episode 38
Welcome back Katsuragi? What bad time for the Katsuragi to get his memory back. We also jump right into the episode. No time for opening credits!

Nice touch with Katsuragi. He was the one to invent the the build rider system, but he has no battle experience. It made him a real liability on the battlefield.

We also get to hear from him finally besides watching video logs.

He wasn't really the "Demon Scientist", but he devoted his research into beating Evolt, as he promised his father - even if that meant using others like Misora.

Goodbye Hell Bros. Nice way to kill them off when they weren't that engaging to begin with.

Utsumi. He's lost it.

Episode 39

One little detail I liked in the episode is how Takumi turned into Rabbit Rabbit differently than Sento. Instead of jumping all over the place to get the armor, he let the armor come to him.

The scene of Takumi and Sento felt a little like two consecutive incarnations of the Doctor meeting.

Man. The ending. It almost made me fist pump the air. It was great. Sento is back! and he took the OP back from Utsumi haha.

Also heisei Kamen rider is notorious for teasing/leaving you hanging. This did not disappoint.

Episode 40

Genius fights marvelously. He's strong without sacrificing speed, the glow effects going to the utilized part of his body was absolute "genius" on the creative minds of the show. The final form also has the ability to neutralize the nebula gas the president was subjected to

Could do without the forced humor with Gentoku. It was weird.

It's interesting the way Sento talks to himself (well, to Katsuragi), not only as a check on himself and his morals, but also because of his memory gaps. Especially in unraveling what he worked on, and since it seems something really big is hidden from him.

Odd. Didn't Dragon Sclash jelly bottle get turned into Magma bottle. Where did the other one come from

Additional videos

Here is Misora and Sawa's actresses watching the Utsumi scene from episode 38

Here's how a lesson on how to use the genius bottle with instructions by Sento

I was browsing ebay a few days ago and I had to smile at refining the search results to "BEST MATCH"

Christopher · Jul 27, 2018

Samurai8472 said:
Nice touch with Katsuragi. He was the one to invent the the build rider system, but he has no battle experience. It made him a real liability on the battlefield.

It was more that he didn't have the passion and emotional commitment that are needed to power/control the Rider System. It's part of the character-driven nature of the show that the system demands passion from its users, something they're intensely motivated to fight for. Takumi just saw the battles as problems to solve to show off what a genius he was. Sento has that ego too, but it's in service to his deeper commitment to ai to heiwa -- love and peace.

One little detail I liked in the episode is how Takumi turned into Rabbit Rabbit differently than Sento. Instead of jumping all over the place to get the armor, he let the armor come to him.

I noticed that too.

Could do without the forced humor with Gentoku. It was weird.

Yeah -- this is one time their humor really fell flat.

Samurai8472 · Jul 27, 2018

Lupinranger vs Patoranger episode 24 just went up

For the next few weeks the credits will be promoting the upcoming movie set to be released on August 4th

This was a good Tsukasa/Keiichiro episode. We learn alot about Tsukasa's family (and also Kazusa real hairstyle I believe) and Zamigo returns! Things are starting to move once more.

Also that ending...

This week's Lupin Collection was the 6th ranger's train baton Breaker from Toqger.

This week will see the Good Cool Striker formation. I get that the team's aren't working together completely but I'm a bit annoyed at how the new cockpit ignores the rest of the members

Judging from future toy releases Good Cool Striker will be the only big formation.

YLu said:
Anyone checking out Boom! Studios' Shattered Grid comics? Overall, I find their books run cold and warm but sh***'s really hitting the fan with the latest issue...

Another legendary battle after Super Megaforce version?

Christopher · Jul 27, 2018

Samurai8472 said:
This was a good Tsukasa/Keiichiro episode.

You mean Tsukasa/Kairi, but yes, it was. I was really surprised when Kairi/LupinRed chose to take the pendant and risk his life instead of letting Tsukasa do it.

The one thing that bugs me is that Tsukasa was still carrying the pendant in her pocket the next day. Logically, she would've bagged it and logged it in as evidence by then. Darn it, I demand realism in this show about magic superheroes and giant robots battling extradimensional monsters!

By the way, I decided to look up the literal translation of the exclamation "Shimatta," which is generally subtitled as "Damn" or "Crap" or whatever. Turns out it's literally "It has occurred/been completed," in the sense of conveying frustration that something bad has happened and there's no undoing it -- so basically the equivalent of "Now I've done it" or "Well, that happened." It's interesting how a lot of curse words in Asian languages have literal translations that sound utterly innocuous to English speakers, so we substitute our own scatological, sexual, or religiously-based curse words.

Samurai8472 · Jul 27, 2018

Christopher said:
I wonder what the Collection piece Noel took from Kogure was for. I'd expected it to be part of X Emperor, but it wasn't involved. It's clearly some sort of transforming mecha, from how it's constructed, but I guess it's being saved for later.

Late reply. Noel wanted the Magic Dial Fighter the blimp.

It was revealed in the 3rd quarter catalog in April

It will debut on the show next month. End of the month magazine scans

Christopher · Jul 28, 2018

Christopher said:
It's interesting how a lot of curse words in Asian languages have literal translations that sound utterly innocuous to English speakers, so we substitute our own scatological, sexual, or religiously-based curse words.

As it happens, just hours after posting that comment, I read an article about the dominance of English as a global language, and it contained the line "Several Japanese speakers say that it’s easier to express anger in English, especially by swearing." I guess because we tend to have harsher swear words. (Although I find modern English swear words rather limited and repetitive, just the same few words over and over.)

Samurai8472 · Jul 29, 2018

A quick 101 on Kamen Rider

He does forget to talk about Kabuto and Kamen Rider Blade

Christopher · Jul 29, 2018

Thanks for the video. I do plan to check out some other seasons eventually, but I want to wait until Build is done.

Incidentally, the other day I brought up the impending transition from the Heisei period to whatever will follow it next February, and this morning I happened across (or more likely my browser remembered my Wikipedia use and recommended) this article about how the transition is creating Y2K-like problems for Japan's computer industry:

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...millennium-bug-y2k-emperor-akihito-abdication

Samurai8472 · Jul 31, 2018

Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel is getting an 8pm/7pm timeslot on Nickelodeon FOR THE ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL on August 28th!!!
http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/07...l-25th-anniversary-episode-premiere-date-mmpr
http://news.tokunation.com/2018/07/...episode-announced-coming-august-28-2018-54253

The confirmed veteran Rangers returning for this special event include:

*Catherine Sutherland (Power Rangers Zeo & Turbo)
*Jason Faunt (Power Rangers Time Force)
*Jason David Frank (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers Dino Thunder)
*Jeff Parazzo (Power Rangers Dino Thunder)
*Li Ming Hu (Power Rangers RPM)
*Steven Skyler (Power Rangers Samurai)
*Ciarra Hanna (Power Rangers Megaforce)
*Yoshi Sudarso (Power Rangers Dino Charge)

c

Danlav05 · Jul 31, 2018

Steve Cardenas is also finally back as Rocky!

Plus on instagram @batinthesun has teased he has some sort of involvement - as well as his upcoming short with JDF, Ciana Hanna and more to promote the Legacy Wars which is a crossover with Street Fighter!

Christopher · Aug 1, 2018

Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive is now up on ShoutFactory's streaming site:

http://www.shoutfactorytv.com/series/super-sentai-gogofive

I'm two episodes in already. It's off to an unusual start, debuting the giant robo in the very first episode, yet not revealing the main villains until episode 2. I like it that it has more of a focus on rescues rather than just fighting, although we'll see if that continues. Episode 1 didn't have a lot of room to establish the characters, but judging from episode 2 and the preview for 3, it looks like they'll be leaning heavily on the family soap opera, with the team being four brothers and a sister who have a lot of issues with their father, who vanished a decade before to build the GoGoV system in preparation for the threat that he alone predicted, and whose presumed death apparently caused them and their mother a lot of grief. It's an interesting difference from Lightspeed Rescue, where the mentor character was the father of just the Pink Ranger (and later the Titanium Ranger), and where the Rangers were an official government-sanctioned operation (for the first time in the Power Rangers franchise) rather than the sort of semi-secret, independent family operation they apparently are here (yet somehow one with the means to construct a massive headquarters under Tokyo Bay and retrofit a whole bridge to swivel).

I always liked the fusion sequence of this particular Megazord/Robo, since it's relatively grounded and mechanically plausible, with the pieces needing to be airlifted or otherwise hoisted into place rather than just magically flying through streaky-lined midair. But this is the first Sentai season where I can say that I liked the Power Rangers musical scoring of the stock deployment/assembly sequences better than the Super Sentai music. Lightspeed Rescue's music for those sequences was really good, a stately and dramatic orchestral arrangement of the main theme melody. The music here is more just your generic Sentai action music.

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