Five Reasons Why I Prefer GoGoFive Over Fiveman


One Two Three Four Five... GOGO FIVE! Since Fire Prevention Month is almost over, I decided I would write why I prefer GoGoFive over Fiveman. Theme repetition isn't necessarily bad if it wasn't overused or if the concept that explored. It's like how I think Abaranger improved the dinosaur concept, Kyoryuger may not be my favorite dinosaur Super Sentai but it did improve Battle Fever J's dancing by miles and how I feel Hurricanger is better than Kakuranger with the ninja plot. It's time to talk about the Tatsumi Family.



An improvement from what Fiveman started with the family

I do like Fiveman's sibling concept and I'd watch it any day over Magiranger. Fiveman wanted to try something new but it didn't work the first time. Not every new concept works all the time but it can be improved overtime. Fiveman started the sibling bond and GoGoFive continued it. While I do prefer Gaku Hoshikawa as an older brother over Matoi Tatsumi but the latter still has the same heart as the former when it comes to sibling bonding. While Fiveman tends to be more kid-focused but GoGoFive managed to be more family-focused.


Continuing Fiveman's public service announcement type of season in a better way

I like Fiveman for its being so much of a public service announcement Super Sentai series. While there are moral lessons to learn from Super Sentai but not every one of them teaches one almost every week. Fiveman did it in so many ways for most of its run. Carranger gave a PSA at the end of almost every episode. GoGoFive also did it through the show but I wonder did they make a PSA video? What's strange though is that I'd still watch Winspector and Solbrain over GoGoFive any day. Take note that Winspector also aired in the same year as Fiveman.


It has a better plot related to equipment used than Fiveman

I don't know if the equipment used should be a valid reason considering that better equipment for the heroes may not necessarily make a good story while they make good toy sales. A good example is that while Black RX had better powers but its prequel Black gets a lot more praise. I could talk about how the mecha plot in GoGoFive is so beautifully written into the story. Fiveman was pretty much too scarce with mecha for a 90s show. Good thing Toei learned from that mistake as Fiveman's low toy sales nearly ended Super Sentai. Also, mecha aren't thrown in like they were in Ohranger but they were better written into the show's need for them.


The Saima clan was a contrast to the Tatsumi siblings

A villain family was started in Ohranger and was improved in GoGoFive. Fiveman didn't act that much of a foil to the Silver Imperial Army Zone except that they fight it. The Saima Clan is a family having its selfish ambitions. The siblings only want to please their mother Grandienne but what does she do? She divides them and even forcibly grows to Drop into Salamandes all because they keep failing her. The bond of the family of the Tatsumi siblings proves superior to this dysfunctional family.


Grandienne was more properly written than Meadow

What was so much of a WTF moment was when Empress Meadow was written off as merely an illusion in Fiveman. I was excited to think about how the Fivemen could defeat her but she got written off as an illusion projected by the very last minute Vulgyre. No clues whatsoever and she was just written off. Good thing GoGoFive managed to use Meadow's concept into Grandienne when she reveals herself to be Negative Energy personified.

Closing notes

It's no secret that introducing new methods and ideas won't always succeed at first but there's a lesson to learn from failures. It won't always succeed at first but there's always try, try again. Fiveman nearly ended Super Sentai because of ratings and toy sales but the sibling concept wasn't a bad idea. GoGoFive took what Fiveman left behind and improved it by miles.

What are your thoughts between Fiveman and GoGoFive?

Comments

  1. Yes, Fiveman started the family oriented series and it was good. During my Sentai exploration year in 1995, I sampled episode 2 and both the fight choreography and SFX was incredible and my friend who saw it thought it was shampagne and caviar. Then there is the infamous Plush Doll episode which would make you reconsider on picking Fiveman as a top 10 Sentai series.
    It does have a dark theme with two additional children character getting whacked by the Zone Empire making it a dark series.
    It also returns to the three mecha component Robo in which it also transforms into a Truck!!!

    9 years later, they finally went back to the family themed series and based in on Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds. It is a underrated series and it is in my bucket list of a series to see complete. The complaint that still stands with GoGo V is the ugly patterned suits and no 6th Warrior which is the treat of the series. However the OVA production is the most addictive story to see with a added hero but short lived Jieg and Kyoko finally getting powers of her own and it was only exclusive to that story!

    Whether Saban Ent. Got better writers or it was a good show for a wester adaptation LSR did very well as a series.


    Not as dynamic and overrated as Maskman, Dairanger, or Gokaiger.
    But it is worth watching

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