Sean Akizuki's Super Sentai Blog

Just when I thought that Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger wasn't milked enough with two VS short films  -- another crossover movie is COMING OUT. It's titled Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger IN SPACE . Yes, the title has a strange mix of Japanese and English. I'd prefer it if the official Japanese title was simply spelled out in purely Japanese. However, Toei decided to spell it out in two languages.  Here's the plot revealed by Orends Range : The main cast of the series, namely: Taisei Sakai (Gira Husty/Kuwagata Ohger), Aoto Watanabe (Yanma Gast/Tombo Ohger), Erica Murakami (Hymeno Ran/Kamakiri Ohger), Yuzuki Hirakawa (Rita Kaniska/Papillon Ohger), So Kaku (Kaguragi Dybowski/Hachi Ohger), and Masashi Ikeda (Jeramie Brasieri/Spider Kumonos) will all reprise their respective roles.  In this special, in order to protect peace not only in Chikyu, but throughout the universe, Hymeno met with Tsurugi Ohtori (role reprised by Keisuke Minami), the president of the Space Federation, and Rita c...

Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger may be that heavily-celebrated season. Heck, it even has a 20th-anniversary movie! Some Power Rangers fans might get defensive if I told them there are older seasons better than Dekaranger . I might hear, "Are you kidding me? Dekaranger was that popular in Japan!" with evidence thrown at my face with full velocity. Dekaranger premiered in 2004 and it was also the first Super Sentai to get a complete fansub. Why would anyone want to watch a show where they can't understand the language? The subtitles built that bridge and There was probably much rejoicing when Dekaranger finally got an official DVD release.  I can't deny I like Dekaranger . However, I began seeing it as an overrated classic after watching other shows. The now-defunct but still remembered Metal Hero series gave hard-to-replicate classics. The 1990s gave us Tokkei Winspector , Tokyu Shirei Solbrain , Tokosou Exceedraft , and my favorite Tokosou Robo Janperson . Watching Kyukyu S...

  Some time ago, I tackled the rumor that Power Rangers SPD was supposedly more popular than Tokosu Sentai Dekaranger . As Dekarangers turns 20 - I really feel I want to rant on this. Super Sentai was practically overshadowed in the West due to language and cultural barriers. The solution Toei had to cross the cultural barrier is Power Rangers . With Dekaranger having been the first fully fan-subbed (thanks to the TV-Nihon fansub group)  Super Sentai - open-minded Power Rangers fans had the biggest chance to check out what couldn't make it past American censors or work for the majority of the Western market. It may be considered that entirely new experience for them. Dekaranger and SPD had some differences in characterization. What I always keep in mind is that Power Rangers is geared mainly for the Western audience. There are some cultural differences here and there. Jack Landors is pretty much laid back and had an episode he skipped the obstacle course before he did it at th...

Super Sentai DVD releases is back on track, right? Well, isn't it something to think that Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger did get its first full fan sub with TV-Nihon. Dekaranger may be the first exposure that some Power Rangers fans from the West had to the  Super Sentai franchise. Now, no surprise that Dekaranger finally gets its official DVD release .  After covering a good portion of the first Saban era that's Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger up to Hyajakuu Sentai Gaoranger - it's no surprise that the Disney era is getting covered. We had Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger and Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger . Abaranger will get a 20th-anniversary reunion movie. At the same time, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers will celebrate its 30th anniversary.  I think is coming to a full circle. First,   more Western fans had a taste of the Japanese deal via the fansubs. Second, we had the initial cast of Dekaranger dub Power Rangers SPD . Strangely, the South Korean dub also calls it Power Rangers SPD whic...

  Surprise, I did some Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters rewatching. I was in the closet about liking that show. Now, I'm going to say that I'm a fan of Go-Busters and I don't care anymore if a show's popular or not. I've marathoned up to the two-parter where Go-Busters had a team-up with the legendary Gavan. It would be important to know that it's actually Gavan's 40th anniversary this year. This reminds me of the time when I used to watch Gavan badly-dubbed in Tagalog as Sky Ranger Gavin on ABC-5 . Now, it's time to take a memory lane to pay respect to one of the greatest old-school heroes. Back in 1982, Gavan premiered alongside Dai Sentai Goggle V while Kamen Rider took yet another hiatus. The popularity of Gavan brought in two direct sequels with different new heroes namely Ucchu Seiju Sharivan and Ucchu Seijuu Shaider. There was no Internet back then so it was a big deal when I missed an episode of Gavan like I missed an episode of this and that. I rememb...

Dekaranger is a hit show that happened last decade and somehow endured itself beyond the 2010s. It had a movie that took place ten years after it ended, it had a rather mature crossover with Gavan, and it also was featured in one episode of Kyuranger set in an alternate universe. I would say that Dekaranger is one show that I do like a lot but also have opinion shifts. Heck, I have opinion shifts towards everything like how I wasn't always into newer Super Sentai until I finally decided I had an overdose of older Super Sentai, how I currently think newer Kamen Rider is better done than newer Super Sentai, and since it's OPINION and facts are facts - hence my OPINIONS are subject to change. Dekaranger is no different. I did have stupid reasons to watch the show. While I didn't cry over Ayumi Kinoshita's marriage but I had a heavy crush on the fictional Jasmine. That stupid reason magnetized me into the show. What kept me into the show further though was the rather wel...

I heard of a rumor that Power Rangers SPD was supposedly more popular than Japan. Huh? Really? It was like the rumor that Lost Galaxy was supposedly more popular than Gingaman in Japan which was long proven false by Sentai Bandicoot aka Fantasy Leader. So I thought about the whole rumor and why it's just blatantly false. While I do admit that the Dekaranger main cast voiced their SPD counterparts, I do admit Power Rangers gets dubbed into Japanese in Japan but is it really all that popular? I think Power Rangers only gets dubbed in Japan for cultural exchange reasons (and I don't buy the story that the franchise is supposedly an act of "cultural erasure" either) but lying that SPD is supposedly more popular than Dekaranger in Japan is uncalled for. Was it from the same people who spread the rumor that Lost Galaxy (which was popular in the U.S.) was more popular than Gingaman (which was popular in Japan)? I can't be certain but seems like it. Now it's tim...

Last year, producer Shinichiro Shirakura announced that he was pulling off the plug of the Super Hero Taisen movies . It was also in the year 2017 when Gavan vs. Dekaranger made its premiere (which also somehow tries to connect itself with Dekaranger: Ten Year After which happened last 2014)  and Chou Super Hero Taisen became the last movie. I admit, my feelings for the Super Hero Taisen films have been mixed -- I still tend to think that the concepts are better off placed in video games and Manga because an hour or two movie is NOT enough to contain such a huge plot. So did Super Hero Taisen's plug get pulled out in favor of Space Squad? It looks like it! So why do I think the plug out of Super Hero Taisen was removed last 2017? I guess it's all about budget and avoiding work overload. A certain degree of workload reduction can be very helpful to improve the quality of innovation. It takes well-rested minds and a healthy workforce to think good ideas and to make sure that...

Kyuranger has ended, I enjoyed it a lot but I still feel like my head's still in space while Lupinranger vs. Patranger is enjoyable with its new concept. But I'd like to do a throwback challenge once more. After I did the Arsene Lupin challenge  then let's take the challenge to space shall we? So I'll give what I've seen and I hope you can give your own stand. I lost the Lupin challenge and I wonder if I've won this challenge. The Space Sheriff Trilogy would be where I'm most familiar with though I have barely saw Sharivan. Yup, I'm more familiar with Gavan and Shaider. Gavan was dubbed as Sky Ranger Gavan in the Philippines -- it was only years later did I discover that it was not Sky Ranger but Space Sheriff and that some of the guest actors were big time stars. I'd say Shaider is probably my least favorite. I didn't like it that much as a child and my mind hasn't changed about it as an adult. Strangely, I didn't like Solbrain as ...

It's no secret that there's an upcoming Kyuranger vs. Space Sheriff movie and I thought of the Gavan vs. Dekaranger movie . These movies seem to connect to the Dekaranger 10 Years After Movie which I didn't enjoy and I hope NO MORE ten years after movies. Now it's time to discuss about the really WTF screwed up coupling that happened in Dekaranger. Ayumi Kinoshita's marriage left broken hearts and they were most likely coming from children below ten years old (Reminds me of crying over an actress when I was that age!). Now, I'd like to discuss the whole WTF moment where Hikaru Hiwatari became Jasmine's husband of ALL PEOPLE! I guess Naruhisa Arakawa is already heading towards Burnout Ville since 2014 with how things turn out. I thought that Sen and Umeko should have already been married off-screen. Seeing them marry in Gavan vs. Dekaranger makes me want to cry because the wedding didn't happen MUCH earlier. Then we have the whole idea where Jasmine m...

I remembered writing on how Winspector, Solbrain, Exceedraft and Janperson felt like " prime time shows for older audiences rather than kiddie shows ". I still can't get over how I thought Janperson is a better show than the Robocop TV series (which came after Janperson) or how it's Toei's tribute to the Robocop movie trilogy. Before that, there was also the Rescue Police teams namely Winspector, Solbrain and Exceedraft. So how are these shows making me think less of certain Super Sentai seasons that I also like as my personal favorites? So what favorite seasons of these are getting affected in some way? I would say these are GoGoFive, Timeranger and Dekaranger. I saw Dekaranger from start to end first then GoGoFive and Timeranger. Sure, I do like those seasons but watching Winspector, Solbrain, Timeranger and I'm currently watching Exceedraft's releases from Sailor Otaku. Also, I'm waiting for more of Janperson's subs since I can't wait to ...

I could remember watching the original Ucchuu Keiji Gavan. Years later, I remembered watching Dekaranger and I don't feel it's a great loss skipping Power Rangers SPD and not watching it. It's 2017 and two shows back from the past come back in a more mature fashion. The show has the violence that I saw in Gavan but not in Dekaranger. I felt Dekaranger was somewhat "lacking" from the badass action I've seen in most 80s-90s Super Sentai. I'd like to write what I felt about the movie which takes place in an alternate universe .  The movie focuses on the legacy of the two Gavans namely Retsu Ichijouji and Geki Jumonji. Zaido has no right to take part of the glorious legacy of the Space Sheriffs. If they should appear in the movie they should just make a terrible cameo where they get blown up for their incompetence. Geki shows he may not be perfect, he's pretty rash and he really did some stupid things but he's more than enough to rip off the Za...

From the Tokusatsu News Network here's the synopsis of the upcoming Kyuranger episode which will air on June 11, 2017: Madakko has stolen the Pyxis Kyutama and arrived at a different part of space through a blackhole. The Kyurangers follow but they are encountered by Geki and Ban who, unaware of the situation, arrest the heroes on illegal space travel charges. We will see the encounter of commanders Sho Ronpo and Doggy Krueger as well as the latter’s encounter with Garu, his inter-series brother (?). The episode will also feature team-ups by Lucky/ShishiRed and Ban as well as Naga/HebitsukaiSilver. Ishigaki will show his own skills in scenes before transforming. What do I think of the upcoming crossover? I'm actually excited to see what's going to link itself to the upcoming Gavan vs. Dekaranger film. I still like Dekaranger that much and I still can't forget how I watched Gavan as a child. I still can't forget how I enjoy Dekaranger's police-based theme ...

Some people prefer Power Rangers SPD over Dekaranger for personal reasons. It can't be denied that Power Rangers SPD got dubbed in Japan by the Dekaranger cast. Maybe some think that SPD is a one-shot wonder by Bruce Kalish. Allow me to share my personal opinion on why I prefer Dekaranger over SPD. After writing about why I prefer Abaranger over Dino Thunder I decided to write this post. Better main cast of characters SPD has good acting but the use of Hannah Montana acting on Syd (I'm glad Miley Cyrus didn't land on that part!) is something. What I don't like about SPD is the main cast. Some of these characters are like Jack (and I prefer the hothead idiot Ban over him), Sky (especially with how he tends to think too highly of himself early on) and Syd doesn't even look like she could last there. I thought that SPD could have worked it out like if Sky were less arrogant (while him admitting his own arrogance in some flashbacks before he became part of B-Squa...

While looking at Dekaranger as a police-based Super Sentai season, I also wanted to give thought on it on how would it be as an 80s or 90s Super Sentai season. But there was one HUUUUUGE problem to how it could fit in back then. From the late 80s to late 90s, Toei still had the ongoing Metal Hero franchise. If Dekaranger tried to be part of Hirohisa Soda's era as a head writer, it would have to compete with the Space Sheriff Trilogy. If it was during the 90s, it'd have to deal with the Rescue Police Trilogy namely Winspector, Solbrain and Exceedraft. These shows had no main villains involved.

While episode 44 was the "Christmas episode" but in this one, Hoji does learn a lesson. He may be my favorite Dekaranger but I thought I'd explore his flaws which makes me relate to him. These events happen in episodes 42-43 where a dangerous monster called the Bragoul (and later its twin) appears and two, a meteor will destroy Earth. Shades of Aliens and Armageddon anyone? Hoji seems to be a nice guy in denial, acting pompous and all towards Ban but deep within, he's really a nice guy as seen in many episodes. He's just a pro so that may be the reason why he doesn't want to openly call Ban as "partner". Hoji also learns to balance between his life and his family. Sometimes, one can easily neglect their families when there's duty. This reminded me of the scene in Kamen Rider Kuuga when Hikari Enokida was too stuck with her work to attend to her child. Apparently, Naruhisa Arakawa is among the writers who likes putting heroes in balance...

As much as I'm having mixed feelings with Ninninger considering that I wasn't so impressed by the earlier episodes, but the show tends to give me the "so bad it's good" vibe that I want to watch more of it, now for the dance! A combination of green and gold? Two yellows dancing!

As a child I did see a few episodes of Solbrain and later I heard of Blue SWAT, saw the Robocop-inspired Janperson and later, Dekaranger itself was a very atypical show. At first, I didn't think it would be good and I would only watch it for Jasmine herself. But later, I fell in love with the uniqueness of the show with some of the nostalgia that it brought. I kept recalling Gavan and Shaider in some way as I watched Dekaranger which turned out to be a show filled with some Metal Hero shoutouts. One of the most obvious is how the narration is done... the narrator DOES NOT know when to shut up and come on, no need to keep reminding us of this and that okay?! With how I've just finished Winspector, Solbrain and now I heard of the new Gavan vs. Dekaranger movie  (hopefully, Kenji Ohba will appear in it as an important officer like he did in some of the crossovers) which features the Dekarangers 10 years after, I decided to revisit this post and add new information into it. ...