Recalling My Mixed Feelings Towards Kakuranger

I remembered checking out Kakuranger on fansubs before Shout! Factory finally had its license. The success of the Zyuranger and Dairanger DVDs led to the sales of this DVD. So, how does it stand? I think about how the show can be considered (even by myself) as weird and campy. In fact, it's the first official Super Sentai season that focused on Japanese mythologies. Sure, the Metal Hero series Jiraiya did with its ninja theme. Now, it was time to take it to the Super Sentai franchise, anyone?

I think of Kakuranger as a weird show and maybe, just maybe, the late head writer himself Noboru Sugimura was starting to run out of ideas. So, what's with Kakuranger that makes it a weird experience for me? It's good with the martial arts choreography but I'd discuss some aspects that just got me mixed about the show. Remember this is just my OPINION so feel free to disagree.


Tsurihime as the first female leader

I think Tsurihime's role is an interesting concept but why make her so young? Aren't teenagers usually unstable regardless of gender? I also feel it's dumb to make her just 14 going 15 and the men around her are... ADULTS in their 20s? Most of the men around her are At least Shinkenger did balance the odds with Chiaki and Kotoha as teenagers but they're in their late teens. Ako probably had a few months before turning 18 in Jetman. Akira in Maskman was already in his late teens. While she has her interesting backstory of her father Hakenomaru as an infiltrator in Youkai - I feel the idea of her being 14 going 15 while actually leading adult men (and they're all in that trailer) to be weird.

I do still feel later Super Sentai series can affect my views all the time. For me, Timeranger's Yuuri is probably the better character between her and Tsurihime. Call me crazy all you want but there are times I feel Tsurihime is just a bailout device. Ran in Gekiranger is the actual leader and she's done more for me as a female Super Sentai leader. Maybe, I need to cut some slack for it considering that Tsurihime was probably still a tested concept. I wonder is my favoritism for Yuuri and Ran overshadowing Tsurihime?


The show's rather weird humor has me mixed

This is coming from someone who enjoys the cheese and campiness of Super Sentai, huh? I was thinking that some episodes were mighty funny with the action. However, I tend to think that the use of the 1960s Batman style of fighting can be very weird. Why were they even putting those stuff in the fight scenes to imitate the late Adam West's Batman with words like "POW!" in some of the fight scenes? Not to mention, I also find the narrator's character in the first half to be rather weird. I'm glad he finally got written off eventually.


The show's first half felt more interesting with Prince Junior

I always felt that the show itself had a more interesting first half than second half. I could talk about the rather badass villain Prince Junior who's also known as Gashadokuro. Prince Junior was acted by Kenichi Endo. Why Endo left the set is not explained. He perhaps had other stuff to do during that time. I thought that it was too bad Prince Junior couldn't stay long after the debut of Kakure Daishogun. He was eventually killed off during the premiere. He stole the show a lot since his appearance in episode 14 - making his death in episode 31 rather anti-climatic. While the Kakure Daishogun arc had some interesting writing but it ended with simply writing off a badass villain too easily at the end of it.

I could say this was a reverse of what happened in Turboranger. Turboranger's end of the first half did something to finally change something. The end of the three villains in favor of the Nagare Bouma brought in more interesting conflict. The Nagare Bouma were half-Bouma and half-human enemies who have no place in the world. The Turborangers' conflict was taken to a new direction as they feel the need to save whatever humanity Yamimaru and Kirika have left. Yamimaru was introduced in the first half and became partners with Kirika in the second half. The end of Prince Junior for me just made the show lose its direction.


I find the whole mecha transition to be rather weird

The first half of the show presents the more badass looking Muteki Daishogun. Then they decided to temporarily out it out in favor of the less badass Kakure Daishogun. I always felt like why are the Kakurangers now fighting for another set of what I'd call less impressive mecha in a series of tests? I felt like that Kakure Daishogun should've been in the introduction and Muteki Daishogun should've been in the second half. I still find it rather weird if you ask me.


I felt the second half lost its dynamic with Daimaou's takeover

I felt that while Daimaou was certainly more interesting and well-used than Master Vile was in MMPR Season 3 I didn't think his arrival did much. Sure, he did manage to spawn a monster that nearly killed the Kakurangers but I felt having him alone without his son was a bummer. While seeing Warz Gill finally die in Gokaiger was no big issue Prince Junior was another thing. Prince Junior was a real menacing threat in contrast to the whiny Warz Gill. The arrival of Ackdos Gill in Gokaiger added more conflict for me. Ackdos was having revenge for his idiot son in mind when he arrived. The badass Prince Junior was just quickly forgotten which for me is just a bummer.

I could also talk about the revelation he had in the finale. Yup, he turns out to be the embodiment of negative energy in Kakuranger. Although he's still dangerous - I feel it's a bit too random to make him the embodiment of evil. The Kakurangers did eventually seal him behind the Youkai Tomb, sacrifice their powers in the process to finally contain him forever.


I guess Hurricanger too further contributes to it

Hurricanger is such a show that Shogo B'Stard considers dumbed down. I dunno why but I think I end up preferring Hurricanger over Kakuranger like I prefer Abaranger over Zyuranger. I still find it weird really how it happens. While watching Ninninger and seeing both Sasuke and Yousuke side-by-side - my obvious favoritism shows up. I didn't care too much about Sasuke (and ironic, he's my favorite Kakuranger) over Yousuke's appearance. But maybe, it's just me huh?

_____

What about you? Are you a Kakuranger fan?