Boonboomger Episode 01: It's Back To Modern Day Japan

It's the first episode of Baukage Sentai Boomboonger. After a year of spending time outside Modern Japan (and Chikyu turns out to be a planet inhabited by humans from EARTH) - it's time to return to MODERN JAPAN. 

Taiya Hando lightspeed rescues Mira Shifuto from a forced marriage. Why would a freeter suddenly be forced into that marriage? Either way, I do think that Super Sentai tends to focus more on threats that can't be handled by the everyday military. We never saw any Super Sentai team rescue a person from a forced marriage if it's just ordinary people involved. 

How are these car scenes filmed? Today's Super Sentai has been purposely made tame due to newer censorship laws. Dekotarade, Itasha, and Yaiyai Yalcar (who also serves as Make My Monster Grow) begin their rampage. Their aim is to gather as many human screams as possible. I enjoyed the crazy car race one way or another. It's nearly an upgrade from Kamen Rider Drive last 2015. 

A glimpse of Ishiro Meita and Boondorio Bunderas (a pun on ANTONIO BANDERAS) is given. It's barely a team since there's no third member yet. Boondorio is also the main body of Boonboomger Robo. It's also shown that Bun Red dries Boondorio. Some of Super Sentai's make-no-sense moments are when Zords possess a degree of sentience while they allow rangers to partner with them. 

Mira was supposedly rescued to be delivered to her boyfriend. Instead, Mira decides she'd become a Boonboomger. A trio is formed. A two-person team may not be as effective as a trio for me. I love how Mira also talks about her wedding gown. It was given to her by her grandmother, though it's not mentioned from which side. Is the scene supposedly meant to talk about avoiding too much sentimentality? 

The concept of the Cranked-Up Handling Drive tries to literalize having a Lightspeed Rescue. The trope was played with in DC's The Flash. Tokosou Exceedraft had boots that would speed through time. The gears on the suits allow the rangers to move at literal lightspeed. They're likely playing a pun on having timely deliveries. Lightspeed is usually a metaphor for timely and alert services. 

The Megazord design is rather simplified. Toei's probably playing it safe after last year's King-Ohger. King-Ohger had a rather huge budget. Sure, there's the garage showing early Bandai merchandise. The Megazord formation is shown and it's something back to basic. Toei did this stunt a few times like how Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters' Zords were less flashy than what Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger offered. Toei's offering simpler designs can be very much welcome at times. Sure, I did have issues with Ressha Sentai ToQGer 10 years ago but it's actually pretty decent in its own way. 

At the end of the episode, Mira declines her boyfriend's offer to fly off with him. Okay, looks like Boonboomger is among those Super Sentai series that don't play the rule of keeping a secret identity. This may make their work easier (or harder) depending on the decisions of producers and writers.

Next week involves delivering classified files in a top-secret fashion. Did Mira just violate the rule nad does her boyfriend have to be mind-wiped? Well, that's for next week. But do read my notes below because I do still have a hangover. 

Extra notes:

Right now, I think about not devoting myself to weekly episode reviews. Writing my crazy weekly reviews for Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger have been fun and exhausting. I won't promise an episode review every week. I may even drop Super Sentai any time soon because of newer stuff. Maybe, I'll just give updates when I get updated. And don't be surprised when this hobby blog will end up like Power Rangers Now.