Sean Akizuki's Super Sentai Blog

Yup this year the Chinese New Year is coming with Valentine's Day AT THE SAME TIME. Hopefully I will be able to get my own Jasmine flower soon. So far we'll be having... Welcoming the year of the tiger with the pervert Kibaranger. Just be careful though that the Feng Shui compass board doesn't get you. A look at Chinese culture as a means to liven up Sentai which is of Japanese culture. Ah of course the Gekirangers are included because they focus more on Chinese martial arts. There will be a lot of romances easy and uneasy alike... Some people will be broken hearted as well... It's time for a lot of songs from the Dekagirls. It's time for couples to respect their vows of marriage and NEVER separate... Even the bad guys have a date too. Ha ha ha. Even hate lovers will fall in love like Jarmin and Zimba. And of course, perhaps another day of family bonding for singles. And hopefully to find my ideal girl...

I can't help but think there are some "Power Rangers References" in the 30 Sentai Encyclopedia done in a subtle way as there are "Super Sentai" references in Power Rangers. They are: When Battle Fever J was featured, flags of different countries were featured. Inou Masumi carries the Kenyan flag, apparently that's where Zack Taylor the first black ranger of MMPR came from. Battle Kenya was also a black ranger. Go figure. On the other hand Sakura Nishihori's holding of America may give tribute to Kimberly Hart. The Boukenger members mimic the Zyuranger pose also giving tribute to MMPR with Natsuki Mamiya probably paying tribute to Trini Kwan (whose character died as the actress Thuy Trang died by the Bio Killer Gun ahem car accident). I think out of subtle reference, I think Eiji Takaoka starts to look like Andros in Power Rangers in Space. Not really but again with Natsuki Mamiya, I think about how Time Force has two girls instead of one- a referenc...

I can't help but comment how young looking the Goseiger cast is with the pictures I've seen for the past month or so. In fact, I can even comment that the cast looks like they're not yet adult or just turned eighteen. The youngest looking members? Yudai Chiba and Rika Sato who just keeps reminding me of Taiwanese actress Rainie Yang. I guess that's why Takumi Hirose berates the turn Super Sentai took lately . My reason has to be that he won't have any more mean battles with red rangers anymore .

I can't help but think how I counted some characters to be rangers even when they aren't rangers because after they appear, they regularly help the team. Most of them aren't even flesh and blood but rather mystical beings or some don't have henshin devices, they simply wore their suits for power. They were coined as "extra hero" in the Super Sentai Encyclopedia. They are: I can count Daimugen as one even if he doesn't participate in human battles. Why? Well he has a human form and this mecha form. Note he is NOT mentioned in the Super Sentai encyclopedia. Ninjaman of Kakuranger is another. He was released when the battle between the Kakurangers and the Youkai intensified. He can also grow giant when needed. Gunmajin was another mystical being, presumably a magical being like Pinocchio. He killed a resurrected Bomber the Great. I also count him as the seventh ranger of the Ohrangers. Signalman was an extra hero in Carranger who had his own persona...

Honestly speaking, Shinkenger gets to its rather unusual twist- a female true heir and that Takeru Shiba is NOT a real Shiba- so he bids sorry for his friends after knowing he was only adopted and so he decides to fight his final battle with the evil Juzo. The episode gets kind of dramatic as the battle between Takeru and Juzo ensues once again- this time with classic Chinese movie flavor for a Japanese series and Juzo falls off and will be back again as the Gedoushu can't be easily killed by conventional means like humans are. On the other hand, I just can't wait for the scene where Mako and the others decide to run to Takeru when the battle eventually continues. Jii is injured and is taken back to the base. It seems that there's a love story between Juzo and Dayu brewing as well. :-P However I hope Kaoru Shiba will convince Takeru to fight by her side even if he turns out to be only adopted. Just imagine a seven ranger finale with two Shinken Red powers.

I think Takumi Hirose as a champion martial artist who acts in Tokusatsu and non-Tokusatsu shows had his best badass moments in dealing with the red rangers of his show. Here they are: His regular role as Ley Wanda in Flashman pictured a rivalry with Jin/Red Flash. However at first, he wasn't much of a badass although he showed some rather impressive moves. As Dr. Kempu, he was rivals with Yuusuke Amamiya/Red Falcon's rival at the Academia. However he was killed at the order of Dr. Bias instead. Although he only appeared for ten episodes in Jetman when Tran becomes Emperor Tranza, he became rivals with Ryu Tendo/Red Hawk and he also managed to overpower the rest of the Vyram. He was defeated in battle when the Jetmen hit him with the Fire Bazooka leaving him heavily damaged instead of destroying him. He was last seen in the mental institution and what happens to him later in canon is unknown. Perhaps his final performance was his battle against Ryu/Ryuranger of Dairanger...

Hmm... another dragon-based red ranger and he was of Gosei Sentai Dairanger plus he's also a red ranger! Well I think he deserves a spotlight as a really badass martial artist or perhaps the most badass red ranger ever I believe he'd beat out every other badass red ranger ever. He had one mysterious origin- and one he never new of that he was of the Dai lineage as his father was a Chinese man making him half-Chinese (and Lin is half-Chinese too). He had no idea about it until he was twenty three years old when the Gorma first attacked and threatened the world's safety once more. He was hesitant to become the red ranger when his mecha-to-be Ryuseioh until he realized if he doesn't, innocent people will die too- the pain of being a hero in a messed up world. :-( He had his destiny and he realized he was half-Dai, his father was someone who worked with Dai and was lured to power and later married his Japanese mother thus giving him double heritage, some that consider...