Gekisou Sentai Carranger (1996) [Tokusatsu Review]

Gekisou Sentai Carranger; or Forever Traffic Safety!
     Why are you saying something so unheroic and selfish, Dappu?! If you say that… If you say that… I love you guys!
Gekisou Sentai Carranger [Racing Squadron Carranger] marks Toei’s 20th production within the Super Sentai franchise. In addition, this a bit peculiar entry from the 1990s is also connected with one of the biggest urban myths of the series. How does Carranger hold up 24 years after its release? Let’s find out together.

Release Info

Developed by: Yoshio Urasawa Starring: Yuji Kishi, Yoshihiro Masujima, Yoshihiro Fukuda, Yuka Motohashi, Atsuko Kurusu

Language: Japanese Original Title: 激走戦隊カーレンジャー No. of eps.: 48

Synopsis
Dappu (Mari Maruta) is the last survivor of the Hazardian War. A young alien infiltrates the Universal Reckless Driving Tribe Bowzock, a group of savage invaders who run rampant across the cosmos. When the Bowzock gang arrives to blow up Earth, Dappu discovers that Carmagic power (a special force emanating from star constellations) is within the five workers of a car repair shop: Kyosuke (Yuji Kishi), Naoki (Yoshihiro Masujima), Minoru (Yoshihiro Fukuda), Natsumi (Yuka Motohashi), and Youko (Atsuko Kurusu). With the help of Dappu, the five individuals use the mythical power and transform into Carrangers. Their aim is to stop the Bowzock gang from wrecking havoc. However, in the course of their struggle, they have to fight against such formidable villains as President Gynamo (Hiroshi Otake), Instructor Ritchihiker (Nobuo Tanaka), and Reckless Dash Emperor Exhaus (Osamu Kobayashi). Apart from Dappu, the Carrangers are supported by such powerful allies as an intergalactic police officer Signalman (Hochu Otsuka) and the mysterious VRV Master (Kiyoshi Kobayasho).

Safety First
Gekisou Sentai Carranger was developed in 1996 by Yoshio Urasawa. Interestingly, this was the only Super Sentai season helmed by this writer (he went on to contribute a few scripts to Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger). In addition, Carranger was preceded by Chouriki Sentai Ohranger which was plagued by production problems caused by the Kobe Earthquake and the Sarin Gas Attack in 1995.

Due to unsatisfactory ratings, Toei significantly reduced the budget of Carranger which is reflected on the screen. This was the first series not recorded on film but on D-2 cassettes which resulted in heavy quality loss (I mentioned this in my Timeranger review as well). Additionally, the monster-of-the-week designs and the special effects are either hit or miss. So, in view of the significant decline of Super Sentai’s popularity, does it mean that Carranger is a bad season? Not at all.

Carragner was written as a parody of the franchise. To be honest, I appreciate the light-hearted tone of this season as well as zany comedy elements which spur out in every episode. The team is freaking awesome! I like them all as well as their chemistry and insanely catchy transformation sequence. I also love how the special cars morph into two(!) mechas. While initially I was afraid that the presence of Signalman would ruin the show, he actually became a hilarious supporting character.

Speaking of the characters I like, well I have to say that Natsumi Shinohara [YellowRacer] is my favourite yellow ranger of all time. There are only two episodes centering on her, but they are so good! On top of that, there is a love relationship between RedRacer and Zonette (Rika Nanase) (let’s call her a chaotic neutral villainess). Their bantering is fun to watch, and it is still a better love story than Twilight (2008). Furthermore, there’s a (kind of) sixth ranger joining the team for a while who turns out to be a space princess/magician/idol called Radietta Fanbelt (Megumi Hamamatsu/Misaki Sudo)!

Carranger is full of classic Super Sentai tropes, including the shake up, plot twists, and dramatic reveals. What is more, the protagonists have to face not one, not two, but three villains. All of that culminates in an epic two-part finale.

That being said, Carranger unfortunately fell victim to a common urban myth. That is to say, some overzealous fans frequently describe Carranger as the saviour of Super Sentai due to improving the ratings after the low performance of Ohranger. Even I believed in that story, while writing my Super Sentai editorial. The truth is that Carranger’s ratings were better only by 3% in comparison to Ohranger’s. The franchise at that time lived off toy sales, and the ratings started picking up for real during the run of Denji Sentai Megaranger (1997).

It has to be mentioned that Carrangers returned in two crossover episodes, Carranger vs. Ohranger (1997) and Megaranger vs. Carranger (1998). This straight to video specials have much better picture quality than the show itself and they are a joy to watch. In the crossover with Ohranger, the rangers have to cooperate with Chief Miura (Hiroshi Miyauchi) in order to save OhRed, whereas in the Megaranger episode, the teams join forces to save an alien being who can grant wishes. The latter special is especially engaging and action-packed. I still have yet to check out the Megaranger season.

Recommendations
All things considered, Gekisou Sentai Carranger is a fun and amusing Super Sentai entry that (most of the time) does not treat itself seriously. If you are looking for a light Tokusatsu pleaser and you don’t mind cheap special effects, then I recommend it. The show was released by Shout! Factor on DVD in 2017. Carrangers are the only team who bravely fought for traffic safety. Gekisou Accel Changer!Overall score: 8/10

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Mirai Sentai Timeranger (2000) [Tokusatsu Review]

Mirai Sentai Timeranger; or, Back to the Future
     Even if we can’t change our future, we can still change our tomorrow!
Mirai Sentai Timeranger [Future Squadron Timeranger] is one of the first shows that were recommended to me at the beginning of my Super Sentai journey. With breaks, it took me about a year to check out all 51 episodes of the series. To be honest, I do not regret any minute of this long journey. Timeranger is undoubtedly one of the most gripping Super Sentai seasons out there.

Release Info

Developed by: Yasuko Kobayashi Starring: Masaru Nagai, Mika Katsumura, Yuji Kido, Masahiro Kuranuki, Shuhei Izumi, Shinji Kasahara

Language: Japanese Original Title: 未来戦隊タイムレンジャー No. of eps.: 51

Synopsis
It’s the year 3000. With the boost of technology, time travel has become possible, but due to an increase of crimes which created paradoxes, the Time Protection Agency was developed. Their aim is to prevent time-related crimes and arrest the criminals. However, a group of gangsters known as the Londerz Family: Dolnero (Ryuzaburo Otomo), Gien (Koji Tobe), and Lila (Asami Kuru) escape from the confinement facility together with dozens of other prisoners locked in suspended animation. They jump in time to the year 2000. Four young Time Agency cadets: Yuuri (Mika Katsumura), Ayase (Yuji Kido), Sion (Masahiro Kuranuki), and Domon (Shuhei Izumi) follow in hot pursuit. They barely survive the landing and, after being betrayed, their Chrono Ship self-destructs. Stranded in 2000, the cadets are aided by a local guy Tatsuya (Masaru Nagai) who coincidentally looks like their Captain from the future. With the help of Navigator Robo Tac (Yusuke Numata) and Chrono Changer braces, the team transforms into Timerangers. Their aim is to arrest the Londerz Family and prevent history from being altered.

Time After Time
Mirai Sentai Timeranger was developed by anime/Tokusatsu veteran screenwriter Yasuko Kobayashi (who also helmed Seijuu Sentai Gingaman in 1998). Evidently, Timeranger puts a lot of emphasis on a serious tone and action. Even though things may seem to be light-hearted at certain moments, the story actually has a lot of depth and Timerangers (as well as the villains) have marvellous story arcs throughout the series.

Right from the very first episode, the viewers are kept on the edge of their seats and the show just keeps getting better with each consecutive episode. Thankfully, the idea of “time travel” is not used here as a plot armour (contrary to Avengers: Endgame (2019)). Timerangers can’t just go back in time and undo their failures. In fact, the story of the series is not so much about changing time but changing possible dimensions (which is explained in the finale and ties in to Tatsuya’s saying about changing one's own tomorrow).

The rangers themselves are simply wonderful. I love them all! Throughout the series, each and every one of them faces their own demons, even the Navigator Robot Tac has an entire episode devoted just to him. If I were to pick a favourite ranger, I’d go for Domon (TimeYellow) and Naoto (TimeFire- yes, the sixth ranger joins the team and he is such a badass!) In addition, the villains appear to be painfully predictable at first glance, but their motivations change and they become extremely complex characters (I’m looking at you, Gien!)

Being a kid at primary school, I remember seeing bits and pieces of the American adaptation, Power Rangers: Time Force, on television. Well, I’m glad that I finally managed to check out the original show in its unaltered form. The story is excellent and the pacing just perfect (one can feel that all hell breaks loose onwards episode 42).

Speaking about performances, all the actors playing the rangers were great in their roles. I also enjoyed the voice performances of Koji Tobe, Ryuzaburo Otomo, and Yusuke Numata as Gien, Dolnero, and Tac, respectively. Also, Asami Kuru was hilarious as Lila.

With regard to trivia, there is not much of these about Timeranger. Allegedly, the production was riddled with problems and there was some drama on the set, but I treat these revelations merely as unconfirmed rumours. From other information, this is the first series which used only a female singer for the opening theme song ("JIKŪ ~Mirai Sentai Timeranger~" by Kumi Sasaki). Many fans dislike the intro, but I love it. In addition, the ending theme “Toki No Kanata E” by NAT’S is absolutely outstanding. Interestingly, Timeranger is the last series since Carranger that has been shot with the usage of digital D-2 cassettes, not proper film (hence, the picture has visible quality loss).

Recommendations
I recommend Mirai Sentai Timeranger to anyone who wants to experience a well-made Super Sentai series. If you live in the West, try to grab a Shout! Factory DVD release. This is science fiction at its best. Grasp the Infinite Future!Overall Score: 10/10

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Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (1992) [Tokusatsu Review]

Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger; or, The Heroes’ Journey

     Five warriors from the prehistoric era of dinosaurs have been reborn in the present day!

I think that time has come for me to tackle one of the most popular Super Sentai shows out there. For two years now, I have been meaning to review Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger [Dinosaur Squadron BeastRanger] (1992), but considering the fact that the show is as old as I am, all was said and done about it already. Even though my thoughts may turn out to be bland, I still want to share an opinion on the show without which we would not have Mighty Morphin Power Ranger in the West.

Release Info

Developed by: Noboru Sugimura Starring: Yuuta Mochizuki, Seiju Umon, Hideki Fujiwara, Takumi Hashimoto, Reiko Chiba, Shirou Izumi, Machiko Soga

Language: Japanese Original Title: 恐竜戦隊ジュウレンジャー No. of eps.: 50

Synopsis

170 million years ago, there was an ancient civilisation of humans who evolved from dinosaurs. They defeated an evil witch called Bandora (Machiko Soga) and locked her away on a distant planet. In the present day, Bandora is accidentally reawakened and now she tries to conquer Earth yet again. Barza (Jun Tatara), an ancient wizard, wakes up five young warriors: Geki [TyrannoRanger] (Yuuta Mochizuki), Goushi [MammothRanger] (Seiju Umon), Dan [TriceraRanger] (Hideki Fujiwara), Boi [TigerRanger] (Takumi Hashimoto), and Mei [PteraRanger] (Reiko Chiba), from suspended animation. With the power of prehistoric dinosaurs known as Guardian Beasts, they have to stop Bandora before it’s too late.

 

Zyuranger vs. Power(ful) Rangers

Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger comes as a sort of an odd entry in the Super Sentai franchise because it tried to distance itself from other shows. Its immediate predecessor, Chōjin Sentai Jetman [Birdman Squadron Jetman] won the viewers with a serious tone and complex characters. Zyuranger, on the other hand, not only broke with the science-fiction convention (choosing fantasy, instead), but also became more lighter in tone, seeking to recapture the child audience.

 

The result is the story about courageous warriors who bring the sword of justice upon an evil witch. Indeed, the series is full of monster-of-week shenanigans with the heavy-handed usage of children as supporting characters in many episodes; however, there is also a place for much needed pathos, interesting subplots, and character development. Probably, this is why I like Zyuranger so much.

 

If you’re patient, after getting through a dozen of episodes involving children in distress (and after wondering about how ancient warriors can befriend random children so easily, with their parents being totally fine with this), you are in for a real treat. For the first 20 episodes, Zyuranger conditions the viewers to believe in certain patterns, but thankfully, these are done away with when the heroes find themselves in the darkest hour. For instance, I love the subplot involving Burai [DragonRanger] (Shirou Izumi). In addition, the evil witch turns out to be actually a complex character with a backstory. These aspects really seem as if taken from Joseph Campbell’s monumental work The Hero of a Thousand Faces (1949).

 

Zyurangers themselves also experience a fair share of trials and tribulations along the way, be it resurrecting the Guardian Beasts or fighting with Great Satan. After 50 episodes, you feel that you went to hell and back together with these rangers. I really liked their personalities and the fact that they never gave up, even in the silliest stand-alone episodes.

 

Speaking about stand-alone stories not connected with the overarching arc of defeating Bandora, not all of them are weak. For example, I loved such episodes as when Mei [PteraRanger] had to single-handedly fight against Lami (Ami Kawai), Bandora’s secret agent, or when Dan [TriceraRanger] tried to make a living by working at a ramen shop. Also, I absolutely liked the stories with full fantasy vibes (saving dinosaur eggs, battling Genie, fighting in the spiritual world).

 

It has to be noted that without Zyuranger, there would be no Power Rangers. Producer Haim Saban tried to adapt Super Sentai since he saw Bioman on TV, but the production was green-lit only around the time when Zyuranger hit the TV screens. It still boggles my mind that as a young lad I was watching half of an American show and half of a Japanese one. Thankfully, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger was released on DVD in its unaltered form by Shout Factory! in 2015.

 

Recommendations

Zyuranger is an awesome Super Sentai series due to plenty of action, great music (that theme song!), and the wonderful fantasy world with mecha dinosaurs. Zyuranger is the hero journey unlike any other. Maybe I’m too subjective, maybe it’s because the show aired during the year of my birth, but I will always look at Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger with fondness and nostalgia. If you want to start your journey with Super Sentai, then give Zyurangers a chance. Minna Henshin! Dino Buckler!

Overall score: 8/10 My previous Super Sentai-related texts: Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger review, Tokusatsu Gagaga review, The Power of Transformation: Celebrating 45 Years of Super Sentai (Re-edited)

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger (2012-2013) [Tokusatsu Review]

Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger; or, Pain is Strength!

     I am… a man who’s so painful that I can break the barrier between delusion and reality! I don’t care if it’s reality or not! I will transform and fight!

My journey with Super Sentai continues for 2 years now. I have checked out roughly about a dozen of entries, and Tokusatsu Gagaga drama, but absolutely nothing prepared me for the wrecking ball of spellbinding grandeur that Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger [Unofficial Squadron Akibaranger] actually is.
Release Info

Created by: Hatte Saburo Starring: Masato Wada, Kyoko Hinami, Karin Ogino,

Maaya Uchida, Shione Sawada, Ai Shimomura

Language: Japanese Original Title: 非公認戦隊アキバレンジャー No. of eps.: 26 (2 seasons)

 

Synopsis

Hiroyo Hakase (Maaya Uchida) is the owner of a Super Sentai cafe shop in Akihabara district, Tokyo. She inherits from her missing father three strange Moe Moe Z-Cune devices. She recruits Nobuo Akagi (Masato Wada), a delivery guy; Yumeria Moegi (Karin Ogino), a cosplayer; and Mitsuki Aoyagi (Kyoko Hinami), a high-school student. Together, they use the devices and transform into Akibarangers; however, they are an unofficial Sentai team, not recognised by Toei. They battle evil in the realm of delusions, but very soon, malevolent villains find their way into reality. Now, Akibarangers have to protect not only their beloved district but also the entire Super Sentai Universe from being destroyed by numerous foes, including evil commander Malshinna (Ai Shimomura), mysterious Doctor Z (Kazuki Yao), and fanatic otaku Tsuu Shogun (Ryo Horikawa). Little do the Akibarangers know that there is a superior mastermind lurking in the shadows…

 

For the glory of Tokusatsu!

Let me start with stating that Hikonin Sentai Akibranger is the ultimate love letter to the Super Sentai franchise. Even though the show promotes itself as a Sentai parody meant for mature audiences (Remember, good little kids shouldn’t watch it!), it includes literally everything a Super Sentai fan would love to see: from countless Easter eggs through cameos of the tokusatsu veterans to featuring official teams. Akibaranger has it all and even more! That is to say, it is an enjoyable show.

 

Speaking about Season 1, the first five episodes are harmless fun, with Akibarangers poking fun at many clichés of the franchise. However, when the rules of the established universe are broken (which is described by the characters as a shake up), the show starts getting pretty serious. To be honest, I really felt as if I was watching a Japanese version of Doctor Who. Over-the-top villains and non-stop action left me breathless! (On a side note, Hatte Saburo is not a real person, but a collective pen name used by Super Sentai writers and producers).

 

With regard to Season 2, I had a feeling that I won’t like it, but it really surpassed my expectations. Everything seemed bigger and braver! The only thing I disliked was the replacement of AkibaBlue. The new character, Luna Iwashimizu (played by Sione Sawada), is very good, but Mitsuki (Kyoko Hinami) had better chemistry with the team. Also, this season was focused on fixing broken timelines (even more Doctor Who feels!), which I greatly enjoyed. I read that some fans disliked the finale, but I thought it was a brilliant send-off. It ended on such a high note! How I wish there was a third season!

 

Now, a few words about the characters. I totally love Akibarangers. If only they had not been the unofficial team. They have great personalities and they actually develop throughout the series. As for the villains, Malshiina (a.k.a. ©Na; meaning Copyrighted Name) steals every scene she is in (but Tsuu Shogun is the second best villain, to me). She’s got the looks, the swag, and the sass. Nevertheless, the prettiest female character of the series, in my opinion, is Hiroyo Hakase. I love her heart-warming smile and exaggerated mental breakdowns.

 

It has to be noted that many tokusatsu veterans served on this series, including Ryuta Tazaki (Kamen Rider), director/character designer Keiichi Satou (Tiger & Bunny, Gundam), writer Naruhisa Arakawa (Kamen Rider Kuuga), and the legendary composer Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell).

 

Recommendations

If you are in the mood for a ridiculous comedy mixed with science fiction elements, then please check out Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger. However, some previous knowledge of the Super Sentai franchise is required in order to fully enjoy it. All things considered, this show communicates the important message that you don’t have to be an officially recognised hero in order to make a difference. Being a fan who is good at heart is enough… Juu-Mousou Zukyuun!

Overall score: 10/10