When Ucchu Keiji Gavan Teams Up With Super Sentai Teams

Gavan has to be one of the most nostalgic characters ever, right? Before Gavan, its lead actor Kenji Ohba was in Battle Fever J and Denzi Sentai Denziman as two different characters. Toei wanted to milk on him and Ucchu Keiji Gavan became the first Metal Hero series. Like Hiroshi Miyauchi, Kenji Ohba is a guy who has a lot of character roles and gets welcomed to do a senior role in the later years. You may also remember his guest appearance in Hurricanger as a human disguise for Shurikenger and as Dan (Jan's father) in Gekiranger.

Due to the Beast Morphers' decision (or rather Hasbro's decision) to have their version of the Gavan crossover (and it's aired somewhere else, not that stupid network that houses it) - I decided to do a nostalgic trip back for Gavan meeting Super Sentai. It's not about Ohba in Super Sentai but rather the time the Gavan continuity gets a crossover with Super Sentai.

The first crossover was in Gokaiger vs. Gavan. I had mixed feelings towards the movie since I tend to treat most  Metal Hero series to be either self-contained or a sequel only when it's obviously a sequel. The movie itself featured Kenji Ohba resuming his legendary role, having been added into the past of Captain Marvelous (well, as far as the Gokaiger continuity is concerned) and the cameo appearance of the Go-Busters. I viewed Gokaiger as a series where Super Sentai was coming to an end and Go-Busters as where Super Sentai gets a new beginning. Just think Mirai Sentai Timeranger felt like a finale series and Hyajakuu Sentai Gaoranger feels like a new era for the franchise.

The following year, Gavan would eventually be used in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters but it was the successor Geki Jumonji and his new partner Shelly (played by Suzuka Morita). Episodes 31-32 had the Go-Busters team up with the new generation Gavan. I felt it was either a departure of what I expected Go-Busters to be since I view it as yet another necessary reboot for Super Sentai. I'm a Go-Busters fan but I did feel that the crossover needed some explanation why it was rather put on series canon than just a movie canon.

To no surprise, the rather more mature and violent Gavan vs. Dekaranger movie happened. Dekaranger actually lacks the maturity factor of Tokumei Winspector, Tokyuu Shirei Solbrain, and Tokosou Exceedraft as a rescue police-themed show. Dekaranger had a couple of stuff that referenced the Space Sheriffs (such as beaming down their suits and later, Dekawing Robo does a Vavilos cannon), the Toku series Blue SWAT (though I'm yet to watch it and I'm currently stuck with crime K-Drama to bother), and a new version of Mad Gallant from Kyoju Tokosou Juspion is acted by none other than Junichi Harata. Harata did also appear as a parent in Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger and was a black ranger in Dai Sentai Goggle V and Michael Bay Kagaku Sentai Dynaman. For me, the movie was a great relief to avoid some stuff I wanted to avoid like the plague such as Chou Super Hero Taisen and Power Rangers (2017) - both movies I'd rather avoid rewatching. My hatred for the Super Hero Taisen films is already too well-known even if I'm still open to making a video game series about it! What's interesting is that the possible Power Rangers film franchise FLUNKED then Shinichiro Shirakura did something right by unplugging Super Hero Taisen for good. Shirakura also appeared in The Toys That Made Us episode about Power Rangers and the premiere of the 2017 film. Coincidence? Either way, I'd hope both Super Hero Taisen and Lionsgate's intention to make a film series on Power Rangers are permanently trashed!

Before that, Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger has verified the existence of alternate self-contained universes for most Super Sentai series. I wonder why Go-Busters didn't bother to insert that convenient plot? It's common sense really that many events couldn't take place in one single timeline. Watching more old school Super Sentai can actually help understand that such as how events during Hirohisa Soda's era couldn't be connected. Chodenshi Bioman has the Bio Robo only awakening when the Earth is in a danger it can't handle on its own. Dengeki Sentai Changeman also has the Earth Force with the same plot. Obviously, both should've awakened in Himitsu Sentai Goranger but didn't. The special episode where Kyuranger is a different universe further verifies that. Though, I'm wondering if the Dekarangers in the Space Squad are alternate versions of the Dekarangers last 2004? Most likely since Dekaranger actually had no episodes that connected it to the Space Sheriffs or did they migrate to the crossover universe? You decide. 

The movie Kyuranger vs. Space Squad really ends up with universes colliding into each other like in Dragon Ball Super. I did think of how the film itself was a pretty good u-turn from The Rise of Skywalker where Palpatine is just a desperate bailout for Disney. The movie did a bit of Hammy becoming Mantis from Marvel Comics in a weird way. Before that, Power Rangers (2017) also had Rita Repulsa looking like Mantis. Too bad Riki Miura left the acting industry thus making Sharivan unable to be there - I guess there was no actor available to become the third Sharivan, huh? A new Jiraya is also introduced in place of the old one.

At this point, I could really say that the Metal Hero franchise is indeed discontinued yet the spirit still lives on. Just think the Kamen Rider franchise itself does take a lot of stuff from Metal Hero. Although it might be something if Toei decides to unplug Super Sentai and revive Metal Hero but that's just a speculation.