Sean Akizuki's Super Sentai Blog

There are times that it's the villains and NOT the heroes that save the show . Ratings can be sluggish. Chikyu Sentai Fiveman was often looked down before it got Vindicated by History. I'm amazed that Power Rangers fans actually bought the Fiveman official DVD despite the much superior Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive having its first release. However, Fiveman  would be pretty much like Kamen Rider BLACK RX -- a show that didn't do well but somehow won a following years later. Fiveman was a show that most likely suffered due to Executive Meddling. There was even that unnecessary Five-Kun puppets -- thankfully, they didn't last long! Chevalier's rise to the captaincy got rid of the puppets! As a child, I wasn't too keen on game-changing villains. However, I started finding Chevalier cool and dandy. Fiveman episode 28 knew how to make an entrance. Chevalier was singing that cool song "Hero!" by Kai Band. The late Ichiro Mizuki also made a cover version. It's i...

I may have already watched Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive,  and I've been gloating about how it's better than Chikyu Sentai Fiveman . However, Fiveman still deserves to be Vindicated by History in terms of plot and ideas . One similarity worth bringing up is how both the Fivemen and the Zyurangers were FRAMED. I pointed out the similarity back when I was 10 years old -- back when I still saw Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers . So yeah, I wasn't surprised to learn Power Rangers was an American franchise and that it's a LICENSED adaptation. That's why I refuse to call Power Rangers bootleg despite my dislike for it.  The Fiveman episode was actually brutal (while showing people CAN BE IDIOTS)  Fiveman episode 42 started the clues pointing out Vulgyre's true nature . I had issues learning that Empress Meadow was nothing more than an illusion projected by Vulgyre. Watching Dengeki Sentai Changeman made me think it's Star King Bazoo "gone wrong". However, after...

  Chikyu Sentai Fiveman is that near-franchise killer that got Vindicated by History. By now, I realized that it was a necessary failure that would give us Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive . Fiveman even has an OFFICIAL DVD release -- something that I never thought would work! I've actually used GoGoFive to spot most of the mistakes done with Fiveman than I would to with Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue . I looked at Fiveman and thought of something I berated a lot -- the Meadow/Vulgyre Connection . I revisited the Wizard of Oz movies starring the late Judy Garland. The Great and Magnificent Oz was actually a projection of a con man named Oscar Diggs. The books gave a different story. Oz showed the illusion of a green fairy to the Scarecrow. This makes me think that what if the idea of Empress Meadow was actually done in the same vein? Was I too harsh with the revelation especially after seeing Grand B*tch Grandienne in action in GoGoFive ? Episode 42 may have been the hint many fans missed. ...

  I wrote how Kosoku Sentai Turboranger could've inspired  Gekisou Sentai Carranger and Denji Sentai Megaranger . Chikyu Sentai Fiveman was a near Franchise Killer (and ratings started to tank with Turboranger ). However, Fiveman ends up getting Vindicated by History as the years went by. In fact, a Shout! Factory DVD release didn't stop the official Super Sentai DVD release -- despite the fact the MUCH SUPERIOR Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive came out first. I'd like to do a rundown on what Fiveman actually contributed to the franchise! The theme that involves... FAMILY! Intentional or not? I've seen Mahou Sentai Magiranger (though the youngest is the red ranger), Fiveman , and GoGoFive . All three series might be considered the SIBLING TRILOGY. Magiranger was in 2005 -- which might've been meant to give tribute to Fiveman's 15th anniversary. However, GoGoFive was in 1999. Mirai Sentai Timeranger mentioned both Fiveman and GoGoFive as sibling forces. However, Magiranger...

"One, two, three, four, five - FIVEMAN!" the very series that NEARLY killed Super Sentai is getting an official English subtitle release . I personally didn't see this coming because of a couple of past Super Sentai DVD releases most of them are better than what Chikyu Sentai Fiveman has to offer. My personal take has always been Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive  will always be MILES BETTER than Fiveman ever will be in the sibling Super Sentai arena. The 1990s began with two shows where one was a smash hit and the other nearly killed a franchise . Combine both shows and you get GoGoFive .  I guess Fiveman has been vindicated by history to a certain extent. I may not like it as much as I used to BUT it has likable characters. The ranger cast is rather strong. I feel like Ken Hoshikawa became a template for Chad Lee in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue - both are athletic badasses that fought off a monster-of-the-week whilst unmorphed. Though, I felt Chad's episode could've co...

  Chikyu Sentai Fiveman is a show that was eventually vindicated by history? Well, maybe. I was thinking about how the show is remembered for being Hirohisa Soda's burnout and the series that could've spelled the end of Super Sentai. Not to mention, Kosoku Sentai Turboranger was also slipping down in ratings too. The trend also followed when both Choriki Sentai Ohranger and Gekisou Sentai Carranger also had low ratings one after the other. Yup, Carranger DID NOT save Super Sentai - it was Denji Sentai Megaranger . Fortunately, Chojin Sentai Jetman saved Super Sentai though it felt like Fiveman was doomed to be overshadowed - at least for the time being. I think about how the show in itself had evidence of Soda having no idea what to do anymore. It didn't help matters (for me) while watching Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive . However, I couldn't ignore Fiveman one bit. I could say that my liking Nagare as my favorite GoGoFive character all goes back to Ken as my favorite Fiveman ...

Is it me or are there a dozen coincidences just everywhere? Come to think about it Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive turned 20 last year and Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue is turning 20 this year. Yet, both shows somehow owe two more shows (and I think they get underappreciated) namely Chikyu Sentai Fiveman and Tokkei Winspector which celebrate their 30th anniversary this year   The Metal Hero franchise has been long plugged though its spirit somehow lives on in Heisei era Kamen Rider up to the present . However, I don't want to deny how Winspector and Fiveman were aired on the same year - something that we'd like to acknowledge whether we like it or not! Fiveman and Winspector can be viewed as a clash IMHO. Fiveman (like it or not) was notorious for being known as Hirohisa Soda's burnout , and as the series that nearly ended Super Sentai (and I was shocked to learn that years later). Winspector was a brave turn from Jiban. The Rescue Police Trilogy (or tetralogy if you count To...

GoGoFive is one show that I'd say is pretty much ahead of its time. It was 1999 and the year 2000 was approaching. It looks like Toei was throwing almost everything to end the 90s and GoGoFive had it. While it's been easy to ignore most of Lightspeed Rescue while watching GoGoFive but definitely not Winspector and Fiveman . Okay, I could be lying because I still tend to compare Lightspeed Rescue's Carter (a fireman) to Exceedraft's captain Hayato (a policeman) in terms of skill and leadership! Now, moving on to Fiveman and how I thought that it's really full of nightmare fuel. Heck, I'd call it an improved version of the nightmare fuel you may have had with Hirohisa Soda in the late 80s with Changeman, Flashman, Maskman, and Turboranger. Fiveman did have a few nightmare fuel episodes but GoGoFive beats it. What do you expect? GoGoFive deals with ghouls and ghosts and tries to be mature as possible (but as said, Rescue Police Trilogy still beats it at that). W...

I remembered how I wrote about how I called GoGoFive as a product of Fiveman and Winspector . Now one can always argue that Timeranger is the end of the 20th century Heisei era Super Sentai yet GoGoFive is the end of the 90s. We can consider how it seems the 90s got planned accordingly by Toei huh? GoGoFive can be considered as a pretty innovative series yet I can't deny that I do have my shifting opinions towards it . So what's with the 90s? The 90s can be considered an era where I have a love-hate relationship with it -- those were simpler times yet who can remember some technology you're glad won't make it into the space age of Kyuranger? There are some great shows from several places before they sucked. The 90s Super Sentai can be like that and I still think the 80s to 90s Super Sentai are the best while newer generation fans can't relate to that, right? So how did Toei's Tokusatsu series open during the 90s? The Kamen Rider series was put on hiatus and t...

Fiveman may be one season that some counted as problematic due to it being the lowest point of Hirohisa Soda's career. Chevalier is somehow regarded as a "very goofy villain" though he became one of my favorite villains in Fiveman due to how cool and charismatic he is -- while his smug personality reminded me of another villain I like namely Kiros from Maskman. He returned after his supposed retirement as Vulgyre's captain and gave a really cool song. I always wondered what song that was and I fell for that song! I remembered how his song made people unaware of the danger that his arrival posed. It even caused Kasumi and Remi to swoon over his charisma to the point that the Fiveman team was divided. Zone's two females Dordora and Zaza both also had a crush on him because of his charisma. So what's the song's lyrics and translation? It's sung by Kai Band and not surprisingly -- it's covered by Anime/Toku theme singer Ichiro Mizuki! So was Mi...

The singer Shinichi Ishihara first did his Super Sentai contribution with the Turbo Rugger theme song. He was then made the lead singer for Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive's opening theme. Here's the GoGoFive opening theme's English translation: Stir up all your guts Harder as it gets Never ever give it up We're gonna save you Grandcross, chaos Come what weather We shall overcome Wind is blowing for the V (five) Help a little life Whoever needs that livin' safe Fight for the new future For infinity Rescue! Soldiers, Faster & Faster Go through the fire, Run through the danger Rescue! Soldiers, Higher & Higher Brightening heart under the sun Shining all above you Save the earth, Save the life We are the KyuKyu Sentai Go Go Rescue Five! Pluck up your courage When it's on the edge Keep a hope stay survived We're gonna rescue Major danger Come what may, just We shall overtop With the power from the V (five) Save a little life Whatever needs our aid and care...