Episode Writers' Analysis Part 14: Juuken Sentai Gekiranger

Gekiranger was the first Michiko Yokote trio headwriting job and it's a pretty good series (sadly Goseiger fell apart).   This was one season that had two major writers namely the Michiko Yokote trio (24 episodes) and Naruhisa Arakawa (11 episodes).

Michiko Yokote (main writer) : 1-6, 10-11, 15-16, 19-21, 24, 28, 32, 34-35, 37, 40, 44-45, 48-49 (24 eps)

Lesson 1-2 introduces us to the basics of Gekiranger.  Apparently here, the Michiko Yokote trio had a proper direction in their writing.  I just love they manage to introduce the story's Gekirangers as well as Rio and Mele.  We know something about them for two episodes, which is really a cool introduction.  I just love how Jan is realistically written (in a way) that he even acts more uncivilized because he's a jungle boy.  For Jan, he is still unsure of where his parents are.

Lesson 3 shows a lesson for us in cleaning.  Jan doesn't see it at first but it allows him to defeat the Buffalo Ken user Gyuuya.  So we realize that in martial arts, they play different types of training to make sure that you develop character every step of the way.

Lesson 4 begins the Five Venom Ken arc.  I found the whole meeting with the champion ice skater Junko Yamagata to be another, "Well apply this to martial arts scene."  The episode had Rio realizing that his true rival is not Sha Fu but Jan.  The Gekirangers must get the antidote to cure Sha Fu.  I just love how they used the Kaleido Spin to get the antidote.  Rio realizes that the fight will not be so easy to win.

Lesson 5 has Jan learning from Ran.  It's a fun focus episode especially with Ran trying to return the really tough female yellow ranger image we had in Maskman and Fiveman.  It was a quest for speed of sorts.  So Retsu gets poisoned as part of the game of the name of the Five Venom-Ken.  Ran shows the value of the heart is what made her prevail over Kademu of the Five Venom Fists.

Lesson 6 shows Retsu's talent as a painter, at the same time I just love how he wants to beat the opponent in his own game.  Moriya the monster of the week true to being a gecko style user, walks on walls.  Sideways, there was also some comedy involved with an eccentric art dealer.  Retsu realizes the power of style to which he masters wall-walking and beats Moriya.

Lessons 10-11 is a focus on Ran and the introduction of Elehun Kambo.  The enemy is getting stronger, they are starting to get the conflict on hand.  I just felt sorry for Ran having to face the perverted Elehun, I'm glad Miki frowns at him.  It's two episodes of real awesomeness and I believe that Ran is really a good tribute to most badass female yellows in the past.  I also love how it introduces the Elephant Touja.  For Ran, she learns also a lesson in balancing herself.

Lesson 15 is one episode focused on Ran.  I do love how she develops when Retsu and Jan are turned into children.  Jan becomes a kid, Retsu is at the worst state as a baby.  Well poor Ran for this episode but good thing she overcame the trials of this episode.  Jan also was awesome when he became a chibi Geki Red which was funny.  Poor Retsu though, he had to endure being naked when he became an adult again.

Lesson 16 begins the major arc called the Kenma Arc.  Kata, Rageku and Maku show up, starting to shake things up again.  I just love the game-changing episodes, especially it featured Rio and Mele learning new stuff from these guys.  For Rio, he won't allow himself to be defeated and that's what makes him a great villain and later anti-hero.

Lessons 19-21 features the Gekirangers' meeting Gorie Yen and Michelle Peng.  I really love how the three episode arc progresses with the introduction of the Geki Claw.  This shows that the Rin Juken Academy isn't taking any attacks from the Gekirangers.  This also introduces us to Piao, Michelle Cheng and Gorie Yen who teaches them the triangle technique.  Again, more training that seems humanly absurd but really awesome at the same time.  A new combination called Geki Fire is called combined from Geki Pegnuin, Geki Gorilla and Geki Gazelle which beats Butoka.  I just love how the three parter tries to explore the depths of Gekiranger.

Lesson 28 has Ken Hisatsu introduced with his sister Sachiko and father Kentaro.  I thought this episode wasn't all that awesome, just generic.  Heck, I thought this was probably a sign that the Michiko Yokote trio won't do well with Goseiger. -_-

Lesson 32 has the focus of secrets from the five Gekirangers and the beast village.  This was also the episode all the Fist Saints showed up, which makes it more interesting.  What I love about this episode is that it reveals more about the Kenma.  The Kenma were ten pupils of the legendary Bruce E (who is just as dead as Bruce Lee) but the other three became traitors.  So our story moves forward to another yet interesting angle.

Lessons 34-35 are again Ken focused episodes and the arrival of Saidaioh.  We have Kata die in the first half at the hands of the Saidaioh.  The second half features the death of Maku.  We also receive the Fire Saidaioh combination which is again, kind of an odd looking one like the Gao Kentaurus.  We are able to see more of Long, which the characters are yet to see of him.

Lesson 37 is a Ran focused episode.  While Chisato had her grandma, Ran has her mom.  I do find this episode a focus for Ran funny.  So yeah, Ran is the team captain and she must fight for her duties to perform.  I love how she defends her stand of fighting with her team.

Lessons 44-45 focuses on Jan yet again.  The first half focuses on Jan against his father Suugu who can only be liberated IF he defeats him.  So it does go to show that the only way Dan can be freed is if he dies as Suugu.  Geki Red defeats Suugu.  The second half features the destiny battle wit Rio which shows he cannot run away from destiny.  While the audience first knew of Long's true colors, now it's the characters' turn to know his true colors.

Lessons 48-49 is the intense finale arc.  Long shows he's immortal, he can't be defeated and plus he kills Rio and Mele.  This is far in contrast to Jungle Fury where Rio and Mele survive, here they freaking die.  Hmmmm quite consistent that Gekiranger is the most serious serious from 2000-2010,  The Gekirangers must learn the new technique which would seal Long forever since he cannot be destroyed.  The ghosts of Rio and Mele teach the Gekirangers the final technique which helps them defeat Long.  I do love the part where they all walk their ways.  Meanwhile Jan finds someone I thought was Rio's reincarnation (but not) which he teaches kids kung fu in Hong Kong.

Naruhisa Arakawa: 7-8, 23, 29-30, 33, 38, 41-42, 46-47 (11 eps)

Lesson 7 introduces us to Natsume, Miki Masaki's daughter who quit dancing.  The Rin Juken releases with the monster of the week Maga, releases a dance troupe.  The episode may be viewed as a lesson in perseverance.  

Lesson 8 is a lesson on patience.  Jan is frustrated that he has to wait.  The Geki Bazooka will take two minutes which is a limit they must overcome.  Jan learns a lesson on patience here when he tastes Natsume's beef stew.  I just thought Sentai needs more episodes like this!

Lesson 23 has a lesson on delinquency involving Ran.  So Ran is turned into a yankee gang lady which for me, well, was just funny.  The encounter with Marashiya turns Ran into a delinquent.  This also reveals part of Miki's past that before she came a proper woman, she was also a bad girl herself.  This also starts to give us an idea of some guy who is about to enter into the Gekiranger team.  Retsu meets someone of the past the end of this episode.

Lesson 29-30 has focus on Ken yet again.  It's all focused on the Virtuous Beast Sword and his sister.  I just thought that for Ken, he doesn't really amuse me all that much.  Meanwhile Long also does something interesting as the audience knows he's a backstabber while pretending to be loyal.  The episode also features more of Ken's development as a character.

Lesson 33 has another of Arakawa's sent back in time episodes.  He did it in Jetman, he did it here too.  They are sent back to ancient Japan which causes some hilarious problems.  If Raita met Kaori's ancestor in Jetman, here they meet Miki's ancestor!  I just love how the two faction manage to work together get themselves back to the present, hinting that Rio and Mele will die a redeemed death.  Overall, Arakawa managed to create a better time travel episode than which he wrote in Jetman.

Lesson 38 has the dilemma of having two Retsus?!  Well yeah, it was like the Dairanger episode with two Shoujis.  I do The whole episode feels like a lesson that you are you, nobody can copy you episode especially when Retsu gets an evil twin.  Meanwhile we get clues of Suugu who is somebody important to Jan.

Lesson 40 starts to unravel who Suugu is and that he is Dan.  This is where the truth starts to hurt.  Jan is now in a Luke Skywalker/Darth Vader situation because Suugu IS Dan. 

Lessons 41-42 puts Jan in a crisis.  So Suugu is his father which is bad news.  The group is pretty much in conflict especially Jan himself.  I just love how the two parter tries to get Jan to fix himself from his dilemma.  I just love how Jan overcomes this crisis with the help of Sha Fu.  This two parter episode started a deep exploration of Jan towards the finale.

Lessons 46-47 has more of Long revealed and how he manipulated all the events behind the scenes.  So yeah, Long may be a midseason villain but he started to be secretly a game-changing villain who would end up as the final big bad of the series.  The two sides join forces which creates a reconciliation for both schools.  However Long shows he's not easily taken down at the end of the two parter.

Sho Aikawa: 12, 17-18, 22, 25-26 (6 eps)

Lesson 12 is the first Aikawa episode.  Kata continues his lesson with Rio which unleashes a new form for Rio.  At the same time, the Gekirangers face Nagiu who has some slippery slime causing trouble.  I just thought it was interesting to see Jan learn a new skill ot defeat Ragiu.  Elehun also takes the place of the fly guy Bae as host for this episode.

Lesson 17-18 is development on Jan.  Jan is jealous to why he hasn't been chosen by a Fist Saint but later gets chosen by Sharkie Chan.  The Gekishark is not controllable at first.  The monster Dokariya also possesses Miki.  What I love about this two-parter is when Jan himself learns the new technique from Sharkie Chan.  The Gekishark is finally controllable and they form the Geki Shark Touja which they defeat the enlarged Dokariya.

Lesson 22 as Jan date a celebrity named Alice for the Ocean's Eye.  The Ocean's Eye is being chased by Mele in this episode for some reason.  I thought this episode was almost like a Boukenger fun episode (which I'm starting to have second thoughts about that series).  I just thought that it was also a moral dilemma episode for Jan to rescue Alice or go after Mele.  This was also the first episode for the Gekishark Fire to be formed.

Lessons 25-26 features the story of Gou and his brother Retsu.  The episode shows that Retsu was once an insecure kid and that Gou suffers from a curse.  This is basically Gou's featured introduction which makes him a really interesting character.  So he does struggle with his curse and then he becomes the fourth Gekiranger.  It also features the conflict of Rio and his past at the same time.  I just love the two episodes try to introduce the sibling rivalry that will soon die down.

Yuji Kobayashi : 31, 36, 39, 43 (4 eps)

Episode 31 sorts of develops Natsume and Jan.  Natsume has a rude schoolmate named Shinichiro who is very individualistic.  This episode is a lesson on teamwork.  The monster of the week Tsukemi is used to gather the energy from people (who go in pain with what he does), which in turn would be used to create some kind of bomb.  I love how the kid learns his lesson in here when he sees what the Gekirangers go through.

Episode 36 is a lesson on stealing.  I kind of wanted Ran to be the focus of this episode considering it was about three sisters but I don't see any reason why Retsu can't do the job right either.  Retsu and Cherry do have their romantic interaction here.  I love how Cherry unlike her sisters, wants to quit thievery which is something I love about this episode.

Episode 39 is a mother/daughter focus.  I just thought this episode makes me like Miki better than Aya from Jetman.  Like Aya, Miki PILOTS Saidaioh in this episode.  In fact, this episode is a very MIKI FOCUSED one.  If Aya had a focus episode, why not Miki?  Miki's daughter Natsume runs away after some misunderstanding and she does a badass job rescuing the kids.  To be honest, I can imagine her teaming up with every last commander who went out to fight like that from this episode!  This episode also shows Dan, who is acted by Kenji Ohba.

Episode 43 is the Christmas Special.  Fortunately it's MUCH BETTER than Gekiranger.  We do learn of a boy who hates Christmas, because his mother died in Christmas.  Ken does something interesting for the boy in this episode.  He helps the boy be thankful for what he still has.  The episode was a nice holiday special for those who are suffering from tragedy during the holiday.

Genki Yoshimura : 9, 13-14 (3 eps)

Lesson 9 features more of Mele on focus. It's where Braco if the Venom Five Fist wants to overthrow Rio, to which he starts off by betraying Mele.  I thought this episode was intense with rank conflicts and all.  I just love the villain focus here, especially when Mele shows her devotion and loyalty to Rio.  Sometimes we need villains who have positive qualities to avoid a boring story.

Lessons 13-14 is character development for Retsu as they face the dancers Rasuka and Rutsu.  It was interesting to see Retsu learn the connection of dancing with martial arts from Bat Li.  This featured the wuxia technique of dancing on water, which is well, kind of awesome but funny for me.  I also thought of dancing and fighting was nice.  It was also in this arc that the Geki Bat arrives to form the Geki Bat Touja for this episode.  Rasuka is defeated but Rutsu continues on to the next episode.

Kazuki Nakashima : 27 (1 ep)

Lesson 27 kind of wraps up the introduction of Gou.  Gou has not yet overcome his curse but he does overcome it.  This is also the first episode when Long appears.  Long at first doesn't appear to be all taht interesting until later, we realize what he really is.  Geki Violet beats Poute which in this episode, wraps him up.  At the same time, Geki Chopper is about to be introduced for the next episode.