King-Ohger 36: Fanboy Moments Up To Eleven
After a rather depressing episode - it's time for a light episode. The quest to liberate the kingdoms from the control of the Galactainsects is here. How does this episode fare? I guess it's playing with fanboy fantasies. This episode has some interesting backstories. It's also an episode that teaches us, "If it's too good to be true, don't take it."
A shocking announcement suddenly hits. Himeno wants to get married ASAP? Personally, I was laughing at the huge crowd (hence the cover picture) because it's just funny. Fat Boy even falls for the announcement. Just then a handsome guy enters the field.
Himeno makes an announcement that the rulers should be worthy competitors. We have Rita who's also included as a candidate for Himeno's husband. Rita's situation may be similar to Sheik (who's an alter ego of Zelda) from The Legend of Zelda. It's very easy to mistake Rita for a man based on how she dresses. I was reminded of that plot where a mermaid named Leila had a crush on Prince Igam - unaware that the latter was REALLY A WOMAN. Igam's disguise would be almost flawless if it wasn't for the opening credits! Romane Dearborn enters the room and makes the females swoon.
The flashback involves So Beautiful It's a Curse. I guess Romane is born too handsome, WAY TOO HANDSOME, it causes problems. I find it funny that the trope hasn't been played on Himeno who's also rather pretty. We also have a scene that wouldn't make it past TV-Y7-FV because of the use of a realistic knife prop. The toning down prevented the use of realistic knives for most of Super Sentai's run. I guess Toei's making some reference there or what? I can't be sure and all I could do is speculate.
Was it too good to be true that Himeno liberated her kingdom? This is what freaks me out the "Himeno" we see is KAMEJIM. Dugdead shows up and they start their brilliant plan. I guess these guys have been reading a lot of books lately. Did Kamejim read The Odyssey and realize so many men want the hand of Himeno? I realized I could've fallen for that scheme.
The real Himeno is caught up and put in a dungeon. Kamejim poisons the servants and Himeno is really poisoned. It's so sad to see Himeno in her state. Elegance Moun proves herself to be a good friend again to Himeno. Speaking of which, I think Kristina Ho and Jacqueline Scislowski should cosplay as Elegance Moune and Himeno at the next Power Morphicon. Added to that, I think Andrew Michael Gray should cosplay as Shun Daimonji from Kamen Rider Fourze too. Sure, it's no secret that I don't like Power Rangers but that'd be fun.
A dance competition with a sweet whisper competition is next. I do think that maybe, just maybe, Yanma does have a crush on Himeno after all. Maybe, it'll just stay as a fan shipping than anything. Rita does display her suspicions that something's not right about "Himeno" here. The sweet whispers part has "Himeno" trying to murder any of the forced suitors with poison.
Concerning Rita, I did some research and found out that, unlike the Western Rita, Rita is also used as a male name! I prefer to still call Rita as she/her instead of they/them. Take note that episode five called her Kanojo (彼女). Heck, I was hesitant to mention that Luckyuro ends up having a secret crush on Rita (since Rita does a good job hiding her identity like Prince Igam did in Hikari Sentai Maskman) but the latter ignores it. Rita's still included in the King-Ohger Girls' Talk. Sorry, but I'll still refer to Rita as she writing these posts! However, the Western atmosphere that King-Ohger has makes it feel awkward.
However, Himeno gets help and the fake Himeno is exposed. It's funny but we do get a reveal. It turns out that Romane is actually SEBASTIAN. I must always applaud the funny science behind disguises in superhero shows. Just think of how heroes and villains can put on a rubber mask and look like another person. Such a stunt wouldn't work in real life. I guess King-Ohger is trying to pull off a lot of tropes found in American superhero shows. Take note that Super Sentai does copy elements from many American superhero shows too.
A mandatory battle to kick Kamejim out happens. After Yanma's crushing defeat - Himeno manages to liberate her kingdom. I really wonder was Yanma's previous failure meant to slow things down? Kamejim is kicked out and Ishabana is restored.
Himeno invites Geoffrey from Toys R Us to Isbanana. Whether or not this is a man in a suit OR a mystical creature isn't known. We do know how unrealistic Toku monster suits can get so I assume Geoffrey here is a mystical creature and not just a mascot. Geoffrey may also be giving free gift certificates to the children of Ishabana. I really wish I could magically become a child and an adult! I tend to enter toy stores to feel young. I kinda wanted some Kamen Rider Gotchard toys to be displayed here too.
It's already expected since superhero shows tend to DO PRODUCT PLACEMENTS A LOT. If I'm not wrong, the Salkinds were sponsored by McDonald's such as in Santa Claus: The Movie. Toei also had product placements of Suzuki and Mazda. Toei would somehow get a sponsorship from McDonald's too. I'm not surprised that Toys R Us gets involved and I'm reminded of the Power Rangers episode in The Toys That Made Us. Besides, isn't it that Super Sentai is also focused on Bandai merchandise?
Who can remember the craze that Mighty Morphin' brought to America during the 1990s? I feel Rita getting two headaches in a row is no mere coincidence. Rita tends to get headaches like her namesake Rita Repulsa. I like to joke that Rita Kaniska is actually the daughter of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa. So many people lined up just to get a Power Rangers toy. The BTS Trio (that's Bandai-Toei-Saban) was seeing the cash flow. Toei hit the American market. At that time, Saban Entertainment had the Marvel license and would do Spider-Man: The Animated Series a year later. It's known how I dislike Power Rangers but love the Saban adaptations of Marvel properties. I guess Toei's recalling that milestone when they hit gold in America almost overnight.
After one loss, we do have Himeno finally taking over what was rightfully hers. Right now, I'm missing the Megazord battles and the monsters of the week. On the other hand, I do feel a refreshing scenario since we're having more TV-drama-like action instead.
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