Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger: An Ambitious, Awkward, Enjoyable, Not-So-Typical Super Sentai Entry (Major Spoilers)

 

You may notice that I've been using "entry" and "season" interchangeably. However, with Super Sentai usually self-contained -- the word "entry" over the word "season" may make more sense. Before Bakuage Sentai Boomboonger enters as the fifth entry of the Reiwa era -- I'd like to wrap up my thoughts. I've written my reviews where one can have a drinking game. I confess that it's a guilty pleasure to do so. The whole season felt so ambitious, it's almost like anniversary levels of budget (and it looks like budget cuts caused the second half to be written that way) and the whole show feels rather different. Heck, in fact, it feels more diverse than the way that Avatar Sentai Donbrothers carries its plot. After the grand rewatch, I wonder if I'd bother rewatching it because the show is what I'd call an ambitious, awkward, enjoyable, not-so-typical Super Sentai entry.

After Toshiki Inoue's return, a much younger writer named Minato Takano, who works directly under Yuya Takahashi came in. Thankfully, Inoue may have some time to rest after Donbrothers. I'd hate it if Toei decided to abuse other older writers such as Yasuko Kobayashi (where Ressha Sentai ToQGer was enjoyable but Kobayashi was burned out) and Naruhisa Arakawa. Toei was getting out of its comfort zone by putting in a new writer to see how things would work it. It's a gamble but there's Takahito Oomori among the producers. Yes, Oomori the producer of Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger probably had an idea to connect this show to that show. 

Getting out of the comfort zone with its setting for most of its run

Not so many Super Sentai want to get out of Modern Japan. Boonboomger returns back to Tokyo is the Center of the Universe trope. Here, the show takes place on another planet (though I always thought this was just some parallel Universe where Modern Japan doesn't exist) that was later named Chikyu. The midseason revelation kind of blew it for me. I wanted no crossover but I think Toei was celebrating something. 2023 would be 30 years since Toei entered the American market thanks to Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and 10 years after Kyoryuger. Kyoryuger would be 20 years after Mighty Morphin'. 

The setting being entirely different can be a huge breath of fresh air. Just looking at the Final Fantasy type of setting is one thing. That's why I like joking that King-Ohger is a sequel to Kamen Rider Saber and Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog -- imagination-wise. I rewatched some episodes of Mystic Knights and it's a disappointment that the ending was left hanging. The planned second season was canceled. At first, I thought of Kishinryu Sentai Ryusoulger but it's heavily disappointing. I don't care about any flak Kamen Rider Saber has or gets - I think it's practically like the sequel that Mystic Knights never had. 

The season can get awkward with several of the kingdoms. The very Western setting can be very ambitious. Super Sentai's possible charm is in its being Japanese like Power Rangers' possible charm is in its multiracial American team. This one tried to break the mold and it got very awkward. Erica Murakami (real surname yet to be revealed) is half-white and half-Japanese. Shugoddom and Ishabana are European-themed countries. That's why I love to say, "WUT? This doesn't feel authentic! White people ought to play t!" It's probably a berserk reaction to how Disney's live-action remakes are turning out. I still felt having an African-American Ariel in the new A Little Mermaid caused me a reaction. Maybe, it wouldn't be so bad IF the whole story got Africanized and Prince Eric were also black. 

What I can't deny is the awkwardness of Japanese people acting as white people still WORKED. Sure, these are mostly cast members trying to develop their skills. Aoto Watanabe's hammy performance is my favorite. N'Kosopa with Japanese-looking people felt more authentic than what Shuggodom and Ishabana had. It's not like the production crew had a choice. They had to work with what they had. Hiring white actors who can speak Japanese would require a bigger budget. So Kaku working as Kaguragi is truly amusing. Yuzuki Hirakawa working as a stoic heroine (kanojo) who tries to conceal her real identity was also pretty good. I think Sakai Taisei was still learning and he did. 

Why do I still feel mixed with the continuity revelation?

Super Sentai series are supposedly self-contained but some people just LOVE to pretend they're all connected to each other. I had butterflies inside my stomach when I heard of the Kyoryuger arc. Those two are full of out-of-suit action from both sides. Meanwhile, the revelation that was given was most likely a result of executive meddling. Maybe, it was because they're celebrating Kyoryuger's tenth anniversary.

I always wanted Chikyu to be some alternate Earth. Instead, it turned out that Chikyu was when Megazords defeated NASA. Yes, some people from Earth boarded the Caucasus Castle. They moved to another planet that they could inhabit later calling it Chikyu. The revelation felt too random for me. I also felt it weird because it's no secret that I don't like Kyoryuger as much as Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger. Abaranger has better writing and execution with its producers and writers IMHO.  

Because of this, it could return to people who still view Super Sentai as a part of an expanding Universe. However, I still have fun in doing so since it creates massively hilarious results. One can always say, "Oh but Toei can always retcon!" These days, I don't mind it anymore when some people just like to treat Super Sentai in almost the same way as Power Rangers - a franchise that's in an expanding universe full of contradictions. People still need to try and create that timeline and see it's even more contradictory than the Power Rangers' timeline. Yes, Power Rangers Megaforce is a continuity error and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger can become one too. 

Dealing with Racules who may get audiences mixed on how he turned out 

I think Racules himself (acted by Masato Yano) can be very hard to predict. Racules can be hard to categorize. It's hard or even impossible NOT to talk about the character without spoiling the show. Yes, Racules is a Walking Spoiler. At the show's beginning -- he's pretty much a douche but later gets redeemed. The redemption is hinted such as when Gira remembers Racules as a nice older brother. One could really say that he was corrupted and that part can be predictable. 

Racules almost feels like Anakin Skywalker or Luke Skywalker in some way. If you've tried reading the Dark Empire Trilogy in the Lucas canon of Star Wars -- Luke tried to work with Palpatine to destroy the former for good but became corrupted in the process. That's what happened to Racules. Racules could've been that honorable guy if he didn't choose such a dangerous path. That's why Racules is more than fine to serve time at Gokkan in the finale. I think Racules will get a reduced sentence due to what he did in the finale. Racules' past causes him to become corrupted and become one not qualified to rule. It was interesting to see Racules get corrupted but manage to redeem himself on time. Racules ends up becoming somewhat like General Miwa from Tosho Daimos. 

As the show progresses, it becomes obvious someone is manipulating Racules. Racules getting corrupted might be viewed in many ways. Was Racules getting redeemed because of how Super Sentai these days is supposed to be more fun and enjoyable? Yanmas scene of getting corrupted was something. Racules' redemption arc reveals a lot of interesting stories. I almost wanted to punch Kaguragi for hiding something. Yes, Suzume and Kaguragi were responsible for hiding Racules for two years. Racules pretended to be dead, unlike Iroki. Iroki was temporarily brought back by Grodie but returned back to death. Racules' faked death was planned. I even think of how Kaguragi and Suzume both trolled the audiences. Oh, that might make Racules the master troll who got corrupted and managed to break free of whatever corruption he had.

Racules' road to redemption can be messy. Racules started out as Captain Ryuuya in Mirai Sentai Timeranger. The difference is that Racules was the one who got manipulated. Racules reveals that he had good intentions but got corrupted along the way. That's why I talk about how Captain Alex from Power Rangers Time Force had good intentions and went power mad when he returned. Racules seems to be in the spin cycle of Alex (back when he was still growing) to Ryuuya (after he got corrupted) and back to Alex. It's going to be quite a drinking game there!

The whole Bugnarok/Galactainsects scheme

The show tried to show some not-so-black-and-white schemes. In fact, the Bugnarok theme was written off halfway in favor of the Galactainsects. In fact, the plot itself plays into the kingdoms when you think of the sixth ranger Jeramie. The human-Bugnarok conflict was simply icing on the cake. It was a war orchestrated on both sides by the Galactainsects. 

Jeramie lived for 2,000 years thanks to some jewel he later sacrificed. Jeramie was the son of a Bugnarok woman and a human man. Later, it's revealed that Jeramie's father wasn't exiled but that the founder of Shugoddom, allowed them to leave. It's because Dugdead was controlling the Husties for 2,000 years. Jeramie is also the narrator of the show. It's something new for Super Sentai but not exactly new for fiction. I wonder if Toei's trying to Break the Fourth Wall with Jeramie or not? I find writing Break the Fourth Wall stories to be really challenging. 

It would be important to know of Racules' actions too. Why would a man who hated the Bugnaroks out of sheer racism suddenly agree to peace with them? The Bugnaroks and humans hated each other for a long time. As it turns out, they were fiddled by Dugdead himself. It was nice to see Desnarak VIII return for the finale and take Kamejim to the World of the Dead to be judged. The Bugnaroks were merely a starting point. Later, Jeramie takes over and the Bugnarok footsoldiers become allies to the heroes. 

The spoiler plot is where Kamejim pretended to be Douga for several years. That's a major hint that Racules got corrupted along the way. Racules swore to be better but failed at it. That's why Racules would later do stuff that would get him off the crown. Kamejim turned out to be a double agent from the Galactainsects. I was expecting Kamejim to become the final antagonist. Instead, Kamejin turned out to be Dugdead's lackey.

I was expecting much from Dugdead and his Jesters. Sure, the introduction arc was really intimidating. Some thought that maybe somebody from Bugnarok was the murderer of Himeno's parents. It turns out to be Grodie among the five jesters. Many of the show's events were orchestrated by them. I was looking forward to what they could do. I did share disappointment (and amazement) that the show decided to try something new. Super Sentai is known for entertaining its audiences with the monsters of the week. Instead, the Galactainsects are shown to flaunt their power without any reserve. Was it a good thing that the Galactainsects aren't releasing monsters of the week as I'd hoped? 

At first, Dugdead shows the tropes of several galactic tyrants in various works of fiction. One could think of Thanos from Marvel Comics or Frieza from the Dragon Ball franchise. It's no sudden surprise that Dugdead was the person who pitted the Bugnaroks against the humans in Chikyu and has been responsible for planets dying across the cosmos. What did Toei think when they decided to go for a more TV drama-type direction in the second half? The Galactainsects weren't releasing monsters of the week. Instead, they were focused on menacing the heroes like typical supervillains from popular American comics. 

Was the lack of MOTW during the second half due to a budget cut? Maybe yes, maybe no. It could be a result of Toei saying, "Well why don't we try something new?" Part of me is disappointed by it and part of me is AMAZED by it. It's a brave direction when the show puts heroes in spandex in what I'd call a more TV drama-type scenario. It's more mature in some way while maintaining villains who are both childish and dangerous. Dugdead acts like a bored delinquent child with a dangerous weapon. More of these episodes started to develop the plotlines that were introduced. I wonder if the producers thought having the monsters of the week would be a distraction

On the other hand, I got reminded of Kamen Rider Stronger's second half. Delza Army may have had its own footsoldiers, unlike the Galactainsects. However, the Delza Army only had its generals and no monsters of the week. Instead, the generals became the monsters of the week. That's why I felt refreshed when Gorma and Hirubil were destroyed. I missed the giant Megazord battles and I was glad to see it back some episodes later. However, I still praise the show for taking a reckless risk. Sure, I didn't expect this to be done again anytime soon. Some people may not have been too happy. Then again, I could be wrong since I'm just a casual Super Sentai fan. 

The way Dugdead was defeated was rather poetic. Dugdead got ragged down after several episodes he's been that constant threat. Even more, the unity between man and Bugnarok gave the monarchs the energy they needed to defeat Dugdead for good. The transition was messy but it's an enjoyable mess for me. Sure, the mess prevents it from getting a higher score but it's still enjoyable enough to at least get some merit. 

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For all the strangeness it has, I'm going to say that I don't expect a perfect Super Sentai entry. That's why I raise up what I think went wrong and what I think went right. King-Ohger has its merits and demerits. It's still a fun show even with all the messy moments the show had during it right.