Random Rant: My Early Concerns with Avatar Sentai Donbrothers"

Right now, I admit that I'm currently on hiatus from watching Zenkaiger. There's been a lot of stuff that happened and it's not been easy. Lately, I find myself watching more stuff on Netflix such as I'm currently watching Love You at the End of the World starring Ryoma Takeuchi of Kamen Rider Drive. I even feel more distant with Super Sentai the older I get. It even happened to me in my 20s. Though, it hasn't stopped me from actually giving comments on the future of Super Sentai. I even think that the royalties involved with Super Sentai might not be justifiable. I mean, I really want to ask why the Philippines still airs Kamen Rider but not Super Sentai. I feel like Super Sentai is getting rebooted every now and then. 1979 was when "Super" got introduced into the title and 1995 was the year when Goranger became part of the Super Sentai franchise.

I. The cast of characters as revealed

I decided to read through Orends Range to which gave me the latest details available for Donbrothers. Granted, I'm losing familiarity with the newer celebrities - it's only a matter of time before I may stop blogging about newcomers entirely. Then again, blogging is just a hobby and nothing more. Now, time to give my thoughts. 

The heroes

At first, I thought Donbrothers would involve yet another unorthodox style of Kikou Sentai Zenkaiger. Personally, I actually like how Zenkaiger has its interesting four robots led by one human concept. I was expecting the same for Donbrothers seeing the spandex cast. I was completely in the wrong. Instead, we have a full human cast again (which probably does define Super Sentai) though Uchuu Sentai Kyuranger had some non-human cast and Zyuohger probably had its Zyumen have human disguises for that reason. This one has them not only don spandex but also reveal new forms as a result. It almost reminds me of how Transformers Masterforce's Power Masters defy science by going from flesh to metal. 

The cast description are as follows:

• Taro Momoi/Don Momotaro (played by Kohei Higuchi) is a 21-year-old man who lacks the ability to lie, and just like Momotaro, he came to this world in a peach-shaped capsule when he was a baby. After running away from his family, he is now living alone as a part-time courier. Once he Avatar Changes into Don Momotaro, he is good at swordsmanship.
• Shinichi Saruhara/​Saru Brother (played by Yuki Beppu) is a well-educated 21-year-old man. Called a professor by his neighbors, he is good at analyzing opponents with a keen eye like Sherlock Holmes. Once he Avatar Changes into Saru Brother, his avatar is all about strength. 
• Haruka Kito/Oni Sister (played by Kohaku Shida) is a 17-year-old aspiring manga artist and a high school student. She won a manga award and is now living with her aunt. Once she Avatar Changes into Oni Sister, she is into tricky moves. 
• Tsubasa Inuzuka/Inu Brother (played by Totaro) is a 24-year-old wanted man who is sarcastic, selfish, and doesn't trust others. He is accused of a mysterious crime and is searching for the true culprit while on the run. Once he Avatar Changes into Inu Brother, he becomes 100cm tall and becomes really quick. 
• Tsuyoshi Kijino/Kiji Brother (played by Hirofumi Suzuki) is a 33-year-old man who lives an ordinary life. Unlike his teammates, he has nothing to lose. Not having his own dream, he is betting on his wife's dream to come true. Once he Avatar Changes into Kiji Brother, he becomes 220cm tall and is good at aerial combat.

The story itself is based on Momotaro. The most I'm familiar with the story is how Momotaro arrived in a peach in a Japanese stop-motion cartoon aired back in ABC-5 before it became TV-5. It was during the 1990s when I first saw it badly dubbed in English. I remembered Momotaro saying it's his mission to crush the devils. The legend was later given tribute in Boukenger creating a rather weird dynamic when Satoru and Eiji were forced to raise Momotaro together in an awkward scenario.

I think it becomes interesting to think that there might be some wokeness. I also find it funny we're having the first MALE pink ranger. Heck, I didn't even like the idea of the first female red ranger in Shinkenger either. I didn't mind having a female ranger with most of the colors such as blue or yellow (which Liveman, Jetman, and Magiranger had a blue female and a yellow male) though a female green can be weird IMHO even if I'm a fan of Kyuranger. The pink ranger is a 33-year old man who lives his wife's dream. I'm wondering is his wife supposedly the pink ranger but he took over his wife for a reason? It seems to be it!

Apparently, Donbrothers will be directly linked to Zenkaiger. Yup, Zenkaiger has finished filming. Now, a new Zenkaiser Black will return and we're having Kiita Komagine signing up for the role and reprising the same character. Kiita now owns a coffee shop where Haruka works part-time. I guess something must have happened behind the scenes that led to this happening. Now, he's an ally. This reminds me of how a TV show with more than one season introduces a different hero per season. In the case of the Rescue Police Trilogy - it was different heroes that took over the previous group after the previous group ends up moving to different levels. Winspector had its cast promoted. Solbrain started to expand into a huge network. Exceedraft was intended to be standalone but ended up in the same continuity. This also reminds me of how Sun Vulcan was directly linked to Denziman.

Though, there's one concept in Super Sentai (or Toku for that matter) called the Multiverse. Kyuranger verified how each Super Sentai takes place in their own continuity unless stated otherwise. Just think about how certain events can't coincide such as the dinosaur apocalypse. Zyuranger tells a different story from Abaranger and Kyoryuger and they're all based on dinosaurs. Go-Onger and Boukenger also tell another story. So, I guess there are times Toei can't make up its mind or it's because they're all meant to be separate continuities and crossover movies are non-canon to the series proper. Take note that Super Sentai isn't Power Rangers even if both are from Toei! Another reason why I prefer Super Sentai over Power Rangers is due to how most of the shows aren't directly linked to each other - allowing me to watch the shows in a more flexible schedule. I don't need to watch all the old school to understand all the new school. 

The villains

It's kind of refreshing to see more human villains over suit villains. I may have enjoyed a lot of seasons back here and now. However, I feel like human villains would actually force the Power Rangers side of the fence to film more of their own villain footage like it did with some seasons. Also, having human villains also adds more dynamic than suit villains for me. Though, they also have their monster forms as well. 

A glimpse of the villain group Brain Person can be seen as follows:

Finally, the villain group of the series called Brain Person. Its members are: 

• Sonoi (played by Yuya Tominaga) is a very calm and graceful man. He enjoys painting.
• Sononi (played by Amisa Miyazaki) is a woman who is interested in human love affairs.
• Sonoza (played by Shinnosuke Takahashi) is an eerie man who laughs and cries out of place. He is interested in human emotions.  

It seems that the villain group likes to play with human emotions. I just wonder though what half-brained stupidity will the villains do as their modus operandi? Super Sentai just isn't Super Sentai without villains who carry out dangerous but absurd plans for world domination, now, isn't it? 

My concern for behind the scenes

Here's what's happening behind the scenes and why I'm getting partly concerned:

After 30 years since Choujin Sentai Jetman ended, Toshiki Inoue (Kamen Rider Agito, Kamen Rider 555) returns to the franchise and will serve as the show's headwriter, with Ryuta Tasaki (Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger, Saber + Zenkaiger: Super Hero Senki) serving as primary director. The series will be produced by veteran Toei producer Shinichiro Shirakura (Kamen Rider Agito, Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger) and Naomi Takebe (Kamen Rider OOO, Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters), and finally, Hirofumi Fukuzawa (Go-Busters to Ryusoulger) will serve as the show's action director, and Hiroshi Butsuda (Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger) as the show's SFX director. 

Inoue is a person whom Shogo B'Stard describes as Toku's Frank Miller. Miller was known to introduce new ideas but also screwed up. Though, I must confess that I did like the way Inoue wrote the Kamen Rider Kiva arc of Kamen Rider Zi-O. I'm actually a fan of Kiva and it's considered the lowest point of Inoue's career. Inoue also wrote Kamen Rider Faiz where he made a cameo. I think Inoue's best contributions were with Jetman and Kamen Rider Agito. My concern though is whether or not Inoue still has it. Granted, Inoue had also screwed up a couple of times which I blame mismanagement of schedules for. I still feel Yasuko Kobayashi's lowest point will always be Ressha Sentai ToQGer even if it's not a horrible series. It's just that Kobayashi, like Hirohisa Soda, was burnt out. 

For the producer, I still think I have my mixed feelings with Shinichiro Shirakura. Shirakura was a co-producer with Takeyuki Suzuki during the 1990s and some decent series. However, it was also Shirakura who came up with the now-discontinued Super Hero Taisen film series - a kind of film that I would dare write if I were working at Toei Ltd. and be stubbornly proud about it! That's why I ended up hating it! I confess that I my fan fic old shames (which I deleted them since I have no intention to continue them) too though I'm just a nobody civilian and a nobody blogger. Naomi Takebe is also involved. For me, Takebe does good with Kamen Rider but she really doesn't do so well with Super Sentai. I think Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters missed its potential and may have benefited from Shirakura as the producer instead. That is, assuming Shirakura will be allowed to introduce darker concepts again. 

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Right now, I feel like I'm really "moving on" with other stuff. I guess real life is getting into the way. That's why I haven't been updating this blog already. Watching Super Sentai at my own pace is one thing. Maybe, giving up on the franchise is another since the digital world has so many choices. There's also real life. Though, those things haven't stopped me from giving this random rant!