Featuring Them Pink Rangers For This Valentine's Day

Based on my list of Super Sentai watched from start to end, I cannot really talk too much about all of them. I've seen some of them based on a few episodes or crossovers.  Considering today is Valentine's Day, I really thought this entry would be appropriate. There will also be some pink rangers I can talk about too much about as well... taking a deep breath... HERE GOES NOTHING! If you find any mistakes or can tell me what I've missed, feel free to comment.


Peggy Matsuyama/Momoranger

I haven't seen much of Goranger to comment on Peggy Matsumaya as a whole. As far as I'm concerned, it seems everyone in Goranger is really overpowered even out of suit. They've endured 84 grueling episodes of real pain. In a sense, all the Gorangers are really that tough as warriors. She might be called as the mother of pink rangers or for some, the grandmother of pink rangers due to her current age.


Karen Mizuki/Heart Queen

I've seen Karen Mizuki in action in Goranger vs. JAKQ. I'll admit, she does come pretty tough. Her actress Perry Margaret Love (who's half-Japanese) appeared in one episode of Battle Fever J as an underground wrestler.

 

Diane Martin and later, Maria Nagisa/Miss America I and Miss America II

Power Rangers wasn't the first franchise under Toei's propeties to have a pink ranger replacement. It happened way back in Battle Fever J (1979). For the first 24 episodes, Battle Fever J had Diane Martin play as a character named also... Diane Martin. I don't know what was in the head of the writers and producers to do that. The actress herself was voiced by Lisa Komaki (who played Peggy/Momoranger in Goranger) who later guest-starred as a fictional actress.

Diane Martin herself felt like she was more of eye candy, I guess due to the fact she really didn't know Japanese. Episode 24 was when Diane Martin was written off. No, she didn't die - after she was wounded by Dracula Monster, she went home to be with her sister Catherine. Back then, not much of Egos knew of the rangers' real identities until later in the series. The replacement Maria Nagisa herself proved to be a real badass pink. I vote Maria Nagisa as the better pink between the two. Maria did more daring stunts than Diane.


Akira Momoi

I haven't seen much of Denziman to comment on Akira Momoi. Her doing tennis and swimming must make her a force to reckon with. She has some attractive swimming scenes which gives me a shallow reason to watch the series. Can somebody tell me how she is as a pink ranger?


Miki Monozono

Okay I have seen some episodes of Goggle V and she is pretty much badass. Although she's used more of her cosplaying abilities and wits, you can't discount she can still fight. During that episode involving Peacock Mozoo animating dolls into puppets, she did a cosplay battle which I felt like it was a real moment of badass. I even thought that moment of hers was better than the cosplay battle of Mei and Lami. My favorite techniques of hers usually use psychologically related attacks on enemies before she beats them silly. Her hypnosis technique is not to be underestimated.


Rei Tachibana

Rei Tachibana is the first pink ranger to master the arts of swordsmanship. I haven't seen much of her in action but I'll admit, never underestimate her. She has a rivalry with Princess Chimera. My favorite moment of her as of right now was when she rescued a group of helpless brides who were about to marry Toad Shinka. Only if I can see more Dynaman to critique her better.


Hikaru Katsuragi

No doubt that she's my first Tokusatsu crush... EVER. Some may have known her as "Kimberly" during the Bioman English dub broadcast but her real name in Japan is Hikaru Katsuragi. She starts off as pretty weak but she develops enough fighting abilities. She was behind Mika Koizumi's shadow during the earlier episodes but later, she managed to develop better fighting skills to fight on her own even before the latter died so young. Even if she developed as a fighter, she was more into defensive attacks. My favorite episode was when she taught the New Computer Brain human feelings which paid off - the team got saved from destruction all thanks to her being a heart. Sidenote, I wished Michiko Makino made a cameo in Gokaiger with her sons selling tsukudani.


Mai Tsubasa/Change Phoenix

I've just begun watching Changeman and Mai Tsubasa is really tough as nails. I'll admit that I've seen only a few episodes of Changeman but she's that badass. She wouldn't have survived the initial attack with her fellow Changemen if she wasn't rough. She does have a soft side even if she's less feminine. She did fall in love with a scientist and was sad to see him leave. I wish I could see that episode to fully understand her.


Lou/Flash Pink

I'm still watching Changeman and I have a really good impression on Lou as a pink ranger. As a master of gravitational skills, she does pack some really high kicks in the literal sense. She and Sara do make a good female duo. Now I need to see more Flashman to comment on her.


Momoko/Pink Mask

My second childhood Tokusatsu crush after Hikaru was Momoko. She is really one tough chick and I personally was impressed by her fighting more than Hikaru's. Granted, she's a master of Tai Chi Chuan and she's shown a lot of impressive moves out of suit. She has shown that she's not to be underestimated every time she gets focus. Best moment for her was when she actually fought Kotsuhi/Dokura Dobler one on one out of suit to teach some children the meaning of perseverance. Her later episodes showed that even if she's tough that she can also be a very gentle character. The episode where she did fall in love with a man who she didn't know was really an underground monster was one of her best focus episodes ever. As for a character, I felt like Maskman didn't really develop her as much as she should have. I guess she's much of an experimental character.


Haruna Morikawa/Pink Turbo

Haruna Morikawa is the campus queen, no questions asked. She does seem to be Miss Perfect but she's not. I thought about that she's shown herself to be the brains of the Turboranger team. Even if Daiichi loosk more reliable but I thought she's thought of better ideas. I really love that priceless moment that she really fooled Zulten with a fake defection just to get the antidote. I really laughed at how she managed to put Zulten's mouth to where it belongs. Later episodes also showed her trying to stop conflicts which she got misled into it. She was able to withstand all that when she was the only ranger with her power after Ragorn revived prior to everyone getting their powers back.


Kazumi Hoshikawa/Five Pink

Not really too much of my crush as a pink ranger but Kazumi Hoshikawa is a decent character herself. She may have also helped some Super Sentai fans overcome their fear of Mathematics like she did with a giant alien child. She has survived two life-threatening attacks one from the pig monster that steals money (her arm got broken in that episode) or another, was when she encountered the alien Queen Killer. Like Rei, she's also a master of fencing. I think she's the brains the behind the Fivemen as evidenced by some episodes. Her best moment? Fooling Chevalier into believing she's surrendered which brought the supposedly slain Gaku Hoshikawa back to life. Chevalier was a real moron to actually fall for that performance.


Rishiya Princess Mei/Pteraranger

I do like Mei as a character but I really don't like her as much as Kimberly Ann Hart. Reasons range from shallow reasons like Kimberly's prettier and sexier than she is. I do think both of these pink rangers have their own different charm in their respective roles. The comparison between the two pink rangers tends to become an apples vs. oranges battle considering Zyuranger is about warriors of ancient past and not teenagers with attitude. Considering it's Valentine's Day and she is the warrior of love, she deserves to be mentioned in this list.


With Mei as the warrior princess of the Rishiya Tribe while Kimberly as your teenager who's growing up without any warrior background - it just creates an unfair comparison. Mei has done some pretty much good stunts but Kimberly can still fight. I still remembered how Kimberly for a time was pretty much her own character but later, stupid writing made her a damsel in distress in later episodes which may have pissed off the actress. My extreme favoritism for Kimberly shines here and Mei isn't that appreciated in my list but I do still like the latter as a character.

Amy Jo Johnson had experience in the Strasberg Institute and she was 23 years old that time (but looking too much like a teen) explaining why she could act better. Meanwhile, Reiko Chiba didn't have much that experience. I felt like even if Mei was better written character but the actress portraying her isn't as good in expressing herself as the American counterpart. Amy Jo could act better even for the first forty episodes of Mighty Morphin'. For those simple reasons, I simply still like Kimberly over Mei. Not that I dislike Mei, I still like her but I like Kimberly better for obvious reasons.

And if you were looking for Kaori Rokumeikan-Tendo after Kazumi, I'd say you're probably color blind or you may have spent too much time listening to bad dubs. For the NTH time, she is White Swan and NOT Pink Swan. She doesn't belong to this group of pinks. She's a white ranger, okay?!


Rin of the Heavenly Star/Houoranger 

Compared to the cute and bubbly Mei - I like Rin better because is a real hot bruiser, a beautiful rose with really sharp thorns and I personally put her in the top-tier pinks. She does look really pretty but remember, don't mess with her and perverts learn it the hard way. The very much nine year old Kou had groped her before and paid dearly for it. I also thought of all the monsters she's defeated when she's pissed, she's really one cool action girl. Natsuki Takahashi is one of the best action girls to date. Dairanger is full of action scenes and she's one of the best action girls. While Momoko was a test concept, Rin is where Momoko's concept is improved to a whole new level. I even feel she's miles above Mei in the character development section!

As much as I like Ayumi Kinoshita and Nao Nagasawa in the action department but I don't think they're that much in par with her in being that tough action girl with an elegant appearance. She's one of those I've got that extreme favoritism and she's one of my my stupid reasons for choosing Dairanger over Zyuranger. For 90s Super Sentai girls, I think she's really, really that hot which blinds me from seeing how well-rounded she is as a pink ranger. Her best moment was when she actually avenged her lover Takamura Souichirou (played by Kazunori Inaba) after they really found their feelings for each other. I felt like she's a better done version of Momoko.


Like Kimberly, I really overrate her a lot for very shallow and pitiful reasons. Both girls are really that attractive. Between her and Kimberly, well they're both characters who are in my list of really no hard feelings because my favoritism for them is just too obvious. Both characters might be really that overrated in the fandom for really stupid, stupid reasons. I'm also part of that fandom myself. Both Amy Jo Johnson and Natsuki Takahashi portrayed their characters pretty well. In terms of development, Rin wins over Kimberly. I guess I like Rin over Kimberly as a character but by a very short distance.


Momo Maruo/Oh Pink

Momo Maruo appears as the most feminine of the Ohranger girls but definitely she's not weak at all. I thopught about it that like every typical pink badass, she's more into defensive attacks. I really thought giving her the Circle Defender as a shield weapon may have defined her use of defensive fighting. She's not all into offensive and instead, she wins from defensive fighting and the use of her sharp wits as her expertise in combat. Her best episode was when there was the plot of Baranoia attempting to cause a volcano to explode. She really stood there on her own before the others arrived. As messy as Ohranger can get but the cast is pretty good themselves.


Youko Yagami/Pink Racer

Youko Yagami, not really my type of pink ranger. I dunno but I really don't like airheads that much but at least she can fight. Between her and Natsumi Kinohara, I prefer to show my extreme favoritism for the latter for reasons based on characterization. I feel that Cassie Chan in Power Rangers Turbo/Space is better than she is as a character. I wasn't all too fond of her even as a character but I don't hate her, I just like her the least. You know what I mean? My favorite moment of hers was when the Bowzock started messing up numbers and it turned out that she wasn't in her ideal weight.


Miku Imamori/Mega Pink

Miku Imamori, well like Youko, I don't think too highly of her and I personally think Cassie is a better character than she is. She happens to be another of those "my least favorite character in a Super Sentai season but I don't hate the person" in my list. I guess I'm just overrating Chisato Jougasaki to the point that Ashley Hammond and her don't really get much points from my personal judgment. Oh you know why I'm really just overrating Chisato, don't you? But still, I can't deny that she has some good focus episodes like when she became Super Miku and later realized that true achievement is not an instantaneous event. Like Youko, I vote Cassie Chan above her.


Saya/Ginga Pink

Saya herself happens to be one of the characters who doesn't want her emotions to get the best of her. She tried to overcome her grief with the supposed death of Hyuga, she allowed herself to feel sad when need be but she's one emotionally strong warrior. I felt like most of her focus episodes really showed she's indeed one who understands the human heart better than the rest of her teammates. I felt though that Shelinda's rivalry should have been with her instead of Hayate.


Matsuri Tatsumi/Go Pink

Like her Lightspeed Rescue counterpart Dana Mitchell - both of these pink rangers are paramedics and there's not too much to compare about their performances. I can't really say who's better in actual practice. I'd probably say they're both more or less alike in competency as paramedics and rangers. My current impression of Matsuri Tatsumi is that she's a good pink ranger, she can really fight and she's a better version of Kazumi from Fiveman as the family pink ranger. She and her second elder brother Nagare both have a frequent rivalry with Princess Venus in the show. It was also fun seeing her motherly instinct when her siblings all became children.


Yuuri/Time Pink

I guess this is one ranger I might be mixed. I do like Yuuri due to her being a badass pink but she tends to be that Head Bitch in Charge type of character. She appears to be somebody who got traumatized when she saw her own family die in front of her. She becomes a police officer to avenge her family's death and she's one who's gotten into a different level of personal with Don Dolnero. In one episode, she almost broke protocol with not killing any of the escaped convicts who were sentenced to Freeze Compress.

While I may feel sympathy for her due to her past but I thought I wanted to slap her several times. One of the events that made me want to slap her when she slapped Domon when he got pessimistic (she also did it during the clip show but that was not canon to the series because he wished the team had two girls, Time Force has two girls instead of one). There are also several times Jennifer Scott in Time Force tends to become way more tolerable than she is. You never see Jennifer do anything that crazy like Yuri does in Time Force, don't you? I felt like Tatsuya should've slapped her when she overreacted seeing Dolnero's death depriving her of the chance for revenge for her family's death. I guess I'm starting to like her less now remembering a lot of stuff she did. If she could have used all that rage energy, she could have used it to beat up that Masato Kusaka-ish douchebag Captain Ryuya in the final episode.

For the actresses I just thought that Mika Katsumura was pretty stiff. Sure she's done some impressive stunts but I thought Erin Cahill was much less stiff. Plus, it didn't help that Mika was asked to play the role of a stuck-up Head Bitch in Charge. Erin on the other hand was assigned to play someone who had a temper but not as bitchy as Mika's character. For me, Jen wins this round in terms of charm as the more tolerable one.


Umeko Kodou/Deka Pink

At first, I didn't think I'd like Umeko Kodou at all. But during that episode she did some drunken boxing, well I really had some respect for her in that episode. I always felt that her bubbly attitude is a huge contrast to Syd Drew's earlier attitude in Power Rangers SPD. It still doesn't change the fact I have an extreme favoritism for Jasmine over her though. But still, you can't help but notice she does take her job seriously even if she's sort of a ditz. As for the actresses, both Alycia Purrott and Mika Katsumura both pulled their parts pretty well. Syd was only annoying on paper (she did get better) while Umeko was meant to be a ditz. Sidenote, at least Syd got better and learns faster than who I am about to talk about next.


Houka Ozu/Magi Pink

Don't even get me started with Houka Ozu because I felt like she beats Syd in several levels of being so annoying towards everyone. I felt that Vida Roca in Mystic Force isn't annoying at all compared to her as a really super annoying character. Ayumi Beppu can act, she doesn't overact... the fact she can act so well makes that annoying Houka come to life in several instances. I always thought she always screws everything up.

Magiranger is also one horrible, horrible show IMO. I always wanted to wrap my hands around her neck or just drop the show entirely. It's a show that really makes every dead fantasy writer of the Medieval era glad they're dead. The problem is more of the writing and not the actress. I could imagine one disaster after the other with this character. She may have matured later in the series but watching most of Magiranger with her is a real tiresome task. Syd got annoying but developed to become a better person. Meanwhile, her development is really stagnated to the point I couldn't really like her at all. 'Nuff said.


Sakura Nishihori/Bouken Pink

Well here's when another extreme favoritism moment kicks in ignoring the fact Sakura Nishihori tends to have that Head Bitch in Charge attitude like Yuuri but to a lesser extent. On the other hand, she hasn't done stuff like the latter did. She hasn't slapped anyone so far or take things too personally to the point everyone gets harmed. She appears cold and just too focused for a 20 year old character suggesting she must be some kind of genius. Her backstory is that she's from a rich family that sort of made her a puppet. She may even have an arranged marriage for all we know but it wasn't mentioned at all in Gokaiger. I feel Haruka Suenaga did a good job in doing what she did though I wished she were portrayed by Sayaka Akimoto.

I'll admit that at first, I just watched Boukenger for her, I personally overrated her and yes, I do still like her but as said, there were tougher pinks I mentioned earlier. I just thought her crush on Satoru could have been used for comedic plotlines. I'll admit, there are times I pretty felt like telling her if she's drunk or what like, why in the world would she hand over a rifle to Natsuki Mamiya?! It was like handling a dangerous weapon to a toddler. It was fun watching her defrost as the series went through. I thought her best moment was when she finally loosened up after some time. I just wonder whether or not she and Satoru became a couple. Last, that was known was that she sneaked into the Gogo Voyager to go into space with him.


Mako Shiraishi/Shinkenger Pink

Shinkenger for me as a very memorable series and I really like the main cast that much. I do like Kotoha for shallow reasons but I'm more inclined to also like Mako Shiraishi for shallow reasons. She's a fine character but never the best. The more I watch Shinkenger for more than once, I just thought I couldn't really give her that much credit or as said, it's a pretty good Super Sentai series but I couldn't put in the list of masterpieces which drags everyone in the show down to a certain extent. She has her own personal charm as a character beneath her attractive appearance which is just a bonus. It's a pity really that fanboys tend to like her and in extension, Kotoha Hanaori for extremely pitiful reasons. I'm more than ready to admit that I think Kotoha's so moe and Mako's so hot but that doesn't make those two ladies the best characters ever.

Instead of coming out as a really all that badass, wind-based pink ranger. Instead, I regarded her more as Super Sentai's version of Kimberly Hart which makes her one of my favorite pinks. I even expected her to joke about her hair in the first episode of Shinkenger. She can fight but like Kimberly, she's more reliant on her wits in battle plus she doesn't really possess as much prowess as the 80s to 90s pink rangers. Fortunately for her, Yasuko Kobayashi made her healthy enough to fight with her teammates during the Shinkenger/Decade crossover and not get stuck in bed at that time. She's not the greatest pink (many name her that for really dumb reasons, she needs to get really blunt on them) but she's still part of my list of likes. Her best moment was when she rescued a bunch of kids and dealing with Akumaro considering she's not really good with the offensive part of being a ranger. I like her as a character but as said, I can't think too highly of her in terms of characterization and writing. I'd blame the era Shinkenger was in to why it ends up as a lighthearted samurai themed Super Sentai instead of a serious one.

Like Amy Jo, Rin had some experience with acting prior to the show. She appeared in the movie "Goth" before Shinkenger. I guess that explains why she pulls out the part pretty well. Too bad the actress isn't as good as Natsuki Takahashi though. So yeah, my extreme favoritism for her is so obvious, isn't it? Not as great as many of the other pinks but still one of my favorites. Still, she's not that great and I like her but not as much as better pinks.


Eri of the Skyick Tribe/Gosei Pink

"ERI!!!!!" I really can't help but make that exclamation towards her every time I see her because I expect something to go wrong one way or another. Plus I find saying her name with an exclamation point as one of my guilty pleasures. Unlike Houka I just don't find her annoying at all. She's cute, bubbly and not to mention pretty air-headed. I thought she's a funny character that no matter how dumb she is, at least she doesn't fool around with guys. Rika Sato can pull off her part but come on, why do writers love to make her ditzy just for the sake of laughs?!

Just keep her away from the likes of Natsuki before they do something really disastrous together. I felt like she could have used an episode where she recklessly pilots Gosei Great like Natsuki in Boukenger. I always imagined what kind of childish behavior she's capable of like she would probably blow up the Earth without knowing it. Oh boy, keep her away from any places that could set up the whole building on fire (ex. the laboratory is a place to keep her away from). It's a good thing that she does develop as the series went through.


Ahim de Famille/Gokai Pink

Luka Millfy's my favorite Gokaiger heroine but I still can't dismiss Ahim De Famille's charm as a Gokaiger heroine. She's a princess of a destroyed planet giving her the Princess Leia Organa Solo vibes. I still can't forget her "wedding scene" with Gai Ikari where she showed some real gunning skills. Her cosplay and combat is also one of the best moments in Gokaiger. I really can't blame some who prefer her over Luka due to her cool focus episodes. She does have her own charm as a character. She's cute and she can kick ass. I don't blame some of her fans for thinking she's better than Luka. I do still like her but not as much as Luka for any of the heroines in Gokaiger in terms of writing.


Amy Yuzuki/Kyoryu Pink

As for Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, man I wonder why I even bothered to watch it from start to end when that show really made me think dinosaurs are glad they aren't around any longer because of it?! Amy Yuzuki ends up coming as overly cheery pink and the rest of the gang tends to get overly lively it gets annoying. It's a good thing that actress Ayuri Konno is pretty natural so it's a plus. As for the producer himself who supposedly said "girls are weak", it's a good thing Amy is not weak as she looks. She can really kick ass in several levels. Those multiple action scenes from the cast members out of suit are indeed Kyoryuger's strengths over its successors ToQGer and Ninninger. Ayuri has shown her karate kicks and even if I can't stand the chimes, at least the Kyoryugers had some loads and loads of do it yourself stunts.

Kyoryuger though is one show I'd never really want to think about much even if it's the last show with lots of decent do your own stunt scenes. I'd still say Abaranger has been better written. She's cute but Abaranger really has had better characterization and writing overall among the three dinosaur Super Sentai series. Riku Sanjo failed to impress me in this department. Plus, why did the writers decide to pair her up with Daigo Kiryu at the last minute? It was pretty forced if you ask me. With all that, I consider it a point against her and the whole cast too.


Kagura Izumi/ToQ-5

ToQGer, please DO NOT even get me started on this show because I simply can't click with it. I don't care if its fans tell me I'm against innovation because I have a very low opinion on this show. I think it's a very horrible, horrible Super Sentai show that might make Watty Piper the writer of "The Little Engine That Could" glad he's dead or just every train pioneer who's gone glad that they're dead. I don't hate the characters (but they're really pretty flat and generic) but I tend to hate the show they're in. Like the rest, it's pretty generic and Kagura doesn't really stand out. After all, they are children in the bodies of adults. It could have been done better but I felt like this was one show where a lot of stuff weren't rightly aligned even if the show could've been done well for a super lighthearted fun show.

Please, don't give me any more of that ToQGer is better because it's newer because Super Sentai doesn't always get better or worse every year. Is it me or are plenty of ToQGer fans usually that defensive about their show as not being lame as I think it is?! She's obvious proof that Yasuko Kobayashi really ran out of good ideas and that ToQGer could've been better if it had a decent writer to it. I mean, why didn't they just get Naruhisa Arakawa or any other writer instead of an already burnt out Yasuko Kobayashi? Due to how the show really fell apart as it was unable to meet what could have been a good concept for the show, I got stuck with Kamen Rider Gaim which was miles above what Super Sentai and Power Rangers had to offer me that year.


Kasumi Momochi/Momoninger

Kasumi Momochi is another case of naming the character after the actress' first name. They did it in Battle Fever J and Liveman. Kasumi's named after her actress Kasumi Yamaya. Okay Ninninger is not all that good but she's a pretty fine character but I prefer Fuuka Igasaki instead. She's trying to balance her love for science and ninjutsu.

Ninninger isn't all that interesting but it's a fun ride but not that fun. She comes out pretty interesting for me with her struggling between her love for science and ninjutsu, how she's afraid of opening up and how she learns everything about balancing herself between her ranger or ninja duties and her interest with science. I wish they gave her the same name as Five Pink as Kazumi, not Kasumi but I guess the writers preferred to use the actress' name instead.

Closing words

Pink may not be a color that's present in every Super Sentai show but there are really lots of pinks. So which pink rangers would you form a female team of five to become "sailor senshi"? Looks like it'll be a very hard one right? And of course, a Happy Birthday to Kimberly Anne Hart. So I hope you all have a great day.