My Thoughts On The Upcoming Zenkaiger And The Power Of Super Sentai Gear

 
I gotta confess that I was actually and slowly planning to move away from Super Sentai. Reasons? Well, there's the big world of digital media and there's other shows that have caught my attention. Meanwhile, I'm still reading Orends Range and JEFusion (where I'm no longer a guest writer). I don't give updates. Instead, I react to updates. The last reaction to an update I did was in December.

So, here's an update that I may react to after reading Orends Range revealing about the power of the Super Sentai Gear. Here's what the Super Sentai Gear is revealed to be along with other stuff:

Next are the Sentai Gear, which is this show's collectible gimmick. Once a Zenkaiger activates any of these items in the Geartlinger, he can summon a weapon or the ability of said Super Sentai team. For example, Zenkaiser uses the Zyuohger Sentai Gear, he will gain Zyuoh Eagle's ability to fly or if he uses the Goggle V Sentai Gear, he can summon their ribbon. 

In addition, using the other side of the Sentai Gear, our heroes can grow into giant size and that includes Zenkaiser! In his "giant" form, he will combine the other Zenkaigers to form Zenkaioh and its various configurations! The configurations we will see in the first in the series are: Zenkaioh JuraGaon, Zenkaioh VrooMagine, Zenkaioh JuraMagine, and Zenkaioh VrooGaon. 

Finally, the show's main villain, the Tojitendo Dynasty is revealed. Thanks to the technology coming from Kaito/Zenkaiser's parents, they can imprison parallel worlds using evil Gears called Tojiru Gears. Tojitendo's monster creating general, Ijirude will use the Tojiru Gear to create monsters called World. One of the first monsters our heroes will face is Kinoko World, which is made from the Kinoko Tojiru Gear. 

But that is not the only use of the Tojiru Gear as it can be used with Tojitendo's giant robots called Kudaitest, which can be customized. In this case with Kinoko World, it will create the Kudaitest Dai Kinoko World. Once the Zekaigers defeat a Kudaitest, the imprisoned world inside the Tojiru Gear is free. 

Lastly, Tojitendo's field general, Barashitara commands basic soldiers called Kudakk, and the higher ranking soldiers called Kudaiter. That said, can our heroes free the worlds imprisoned inside the Tojiru Gear by the Tojitendo Dynasty? That is for us to find out as Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger makes its debut this March!

My reaction:

Personally, I think that the Super Sentai gear ability in itself is really geared towards one thing - Super Sentai's 45th anniversary! I remembered a number of times I questioned the survival of Super Sentai since there hasn't been a break since Battle Fever J. The only time Super Sentai went on hiatus was after 1977 when Dengeki Sentai JAKQ really lacked the popularity of Himitsu Sentai Goranger which lasted for two years. JAKQ was obviously rushed before the first two Super Sentai series were retroactively added in 1995 - the year of Choriki Sentai Ohranger. Super Sentai also nearly got canceled more than once with how Chikyu Sentai Fiveman was so bad. Ohranger up to Gekisou Sentai Carranger had low ratings (4.4 to 4.8) while toy sales did help both of them. Denji Sentai Megaranger normalized ratings again. Though, Super Sentai ratings started to plunge down AGAIN after Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. It just got worse during the 40th season, Doubotsu Sentai Zyuohger. The tagline "The history of Sentai - it's over!" was even in the crossover movie with Shuriken Sentai Ninninger. Ninninger had so bad toy sales too. Though things started to shift when it felt Super Sentai had another reboot when two "unorthodox" series were aired namely Uchuu Sentai Kyuranger and Kaito Sentai Lupinranger vs. Keisatsu Sentai Patranger - both trying to break the formula. Then it was back to dinosaurs (AGAIN) with Kishinryu Sentai Ryusoulger. So, this ability would really be a shoutout to the fact that Super Sentai made it that long. I even felt Super Sentai would end at 40 seasons during the time Gokaiger aired and during the time of Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters. Go-Busters was liked more by older fans but not much by younger fans. 

The "unorthodox" team really has some strange new powers not introduced to Super Sentai. Sure, having the Sentai Gear ability can be traced back to Gokaiger and Kamen Rider Decade. However, heroes enlarging is not really that common in Super Sentai. The last enlarging heroes known in Super Sentai were Ninjaman from Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, Gunmazin from Choriki Sentai Ohranger, and Daigoyou from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. Here, the rather weird team of one human and four robots goes to a whole new level. Even funnier is that Zenkaiser can grow giant like an Ultraman. Even weirder is how the main hero Zenkaiser can combine with the other Zenkaisers. I'd want to check it out first how it works. I do feel we might get some good toys coming out of it. 

The concept of parallel worlds is quite common in fiction. I just wonder would it carry a format similar to Decade? Sure, I really do HATE Decade but there was some potential. Just that, Decade didn't really meet its potential and it was probably a friend in need of a boost. The concept of captive worlds can be very interesting if done right. Hopefully, the concept will not be messed up. Granted, we do have to worry about Shinichiro Shirakura who tends to take ideas too wildly. Shirakura the guy who was responsible for some earlier hits tends to screw up these days. Shirakura seems to be obsessed with conflict and blood - something Super Sentai has been shying away from for years. Shirakura was also involved with Takeyuki Suzuki for some time. Take note that Chojin Sentai Jetman, Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, and Gosei Sentai Dairanger have Shirakura's involvement in Super Sentai even if Suzuki was the main producer. Shirakura was also involved with the more bloody and full of conflict Kamen Rider Agito, Kamen Rider Ryuki, and Kamen Rider Faiz. Shirakura in himself was also the producer of the mature Toku movie Kamen Rider Shin. I expect Shirakura to add lots of conflicts. I wonder how Naomi Takebe as another producer will handle it. Takebe does good with Kamen Rider but the same can't really be said for Super Sentai. 

I can't really summarize my feelings. I have some excitement to see if a new concept can work itself out. I do also have my fears that it would have some setback. Though, there's the need to be at least open-minded and learn from mistakes too. I'd like to avoid setting the bar too high as Zenkaiger would enter this March. Though, I'm already slowly moving away from Tokusatsu (again) because there's a couple of other old and new stuff I'm checking out every now and then.