“I’ll need you to die too,” Escape says as Hiromu arrives in Ace. But Messiah Megazord Zeta takes Hiromu’s sword and tries to absorb it. Hiromu manages to break free only to receive a big blow from Messiah. Hiromu’s helmet … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, Mission 44 – Christmas Eve: Time to Complete the Mission
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Recap: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, Mission 45 – Happy New Year: A Small Formidable Enemy Returns
Everyone at the Energy Management Center is dressed up and greets us (!?) a Happy New Year. Ryuji and Yoko ask Hiromu what he wished for and he says nothing. Not even peace or good health or happiness? Re Those … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, Mission 46 – The New Fusion and Overheated Rampage!
Nick and Gorisaki are helping Hiromu and Ryuji work out in the gym, but Nick notices Ryuji is out of it. Gorisaki tells them about this morning. Ryuji and Yoko were talking about what they’d do after this was all … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, Mission 47 – Reset and Back-Up
The Go-Busters are shocked Enter is now able to use organic life forms for Metaroids and installing viruses. He explains that Messiah was nothing more than a program that grew and evolved. That’s why he put the Messiah card in … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, Mission 48 – Setting the Trap
Enter explains how he had inserted the 13th Messiah Card into Hiromu the day he had introduced the Cards to them. It’s a special one because all the data that had been gathered by the other cards has been transferred … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, Mission 49 – Preparation and Selection
Enter henshins into a modified Red Buster and attacks the others. He uses Hiromu’s own moves to fight them. Hiromu henshins again and they all go Powered Custom to give Enter all they’ve got. They think they’ve defeated him, but … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, Mission 50 – Eternal Bonds
The Go-Busters are fine, but separated. They decide to meet up at Jin’s hangar, but Enter has other plans. He fires at Hiromu, Yoko, Nick and Usada. Enter says they should return to the real world, but Hiromu tells him … Continue reading ![]()
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Hindsight Review: How Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters Had Everything I Look For
TYPE OF REVIEW : HINDSIGHT REVIEW Lots of spoilers. It was my fourth Super Sentai series and I can confidently say Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters may be my favorite one so far. It was an experimental season that toyed with formula. … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap and First Impression Review: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Brave/Episode 1 – Let’s Go! The Red King
TYPE OF REVIEW : FIRST IMPRESSION REVIEW Review after a full recap of the first episode, so yeah, there’s a lot of spoilers. =D The Deboss Army revives for the first time since the extinction of the dinosaurs and they … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Brave/Episode 2 – Gaburincho! Snapping Combination
The other Kyoryugers are watching Daigo doodle pictures of his new teammates and they wonder how in the world this guy is Kyoryu Red. They head home for the night. Nobuharu goes home to his sister and niece. His sister … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Brave/Episode 3 – Get Mad! The Slashing Brave
Amy is serving Nobu and family at the Tiger Boy restaurant where Daigo’s helping out in the kitchen today. Ian’s watching the new friends from a booth, accompanied by a fawning girl. Souji walks in and Amy asks if he’ll … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Brave/Episode 4 – Fire! The Courageous Gaburevolver
Daigo is helping Nobu paint a sign for the restaurant when Amy and Souji walk in. Souji calls Nobu “Nossan” too. Ian, with a brand new young girl, calls over to the “plebeians.” Daigo is excited to meet him. Amy … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Brave/Episode 5 – Boom! The Cavities of Ankydon
The Kyoryugers are testing out the Guardian’s Zyudenchi to find out what each one does. But in the process, Torin realizes they aren’t completely coming together yet. That’s when a non-Japanese looking man appears. He is called… Ramirez. After Ian … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Brave/Episode 6 – Stop! Singing Canderilla
Back at the Spirit Base, Torin explains the monster controlling Ankydon is Debo Wilson, an ancient enemy who terrorized the dinosaurs. But Ramirez and Ankydon had crushed him into little pieces when he revived in the Middle Ages only to … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Brave/Episode 7 – Angry! Daigo’s Big Pinch
Daigo’s drawn a colorful chart of what they need to do; Revive the Ten Great Zyudenryu and the Guardians’ power then defeat the Deboss Army. A little too simplistic, Torin says, but still correct. Daigo clutches his necklace and Ian … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger Brave/Episode 8 – Where Am I? Get Through the Maze
The Kyoryugers are at Tiger Boy and a little bored without Nobu’s old man gags. Nossan is at the amusement park with sister Yuko and little Rika. Nobu feels uncomfortable lying about being Rika’s father just so they could get … Continue reading ![]()
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Recap: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Brave/Episode 9 – So Strong! Pteraidenoh
Dogold is anxious to fight the Kyoryugers now! and Chaos says maybe it’s time to reveal Pteragordon’s true power. Down in the Spirit Base, Torin explains how Pteragordon is the Ten Great Zyudenryu’s cornerstone for attacking, sort of like a … Continue reading ![]()
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Review: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters Returns vs. Dōbutsu Sentai Go-Busters – A Fun, Hilarious and Heartfelt Love Letter
TYPE OF REVIEW 
: GOOD OL’ REVIEW
Lots of spoilers!
I didn’t care what anyone said (or says, even today!). But I loved Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters. It had everything I look for in a Sentai or Power Rangers season.
I’ve definitely been missing it lately, even though I like Kyoryuger just fine. So as soon as I found out the Go-Busters V-Cinema was subbed, you can bet I watched it immediately.
Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters Returns vs. Dobutsu Sentai Go-Busters is fun, exciting and surprisingly full of heart. Certainly qualities the series had, but here, taken to outrageously hilarious heights.
It’s New Year’s Eve and the EMC is getting ready to celebrate when the alarm goes off. No Vaglass signature, but of course the Go-Busters head out to take care of the disturbance.
A powerful demon, Azazel, is laying waste to the city and damaging the Buster Machines so much, it forces the Go-Busters and Buddyroids to eject back onto the ground where they are killed.
Yes killed.
Nick wakes up and finds himself in heaven where he meets God (who bears a striking resemblance to a familiar face). God tells him he’s the one millionth death of the year (with J, who is also in the room with them, being the 999,999,999th) and as a prize, can have one wish.
Nick decides to wish him, the Go-Busters and the Buddyroids be sent to a world where the events of Christmas 1999 never happened. Wish granted.
Nick wakes up to familiar surroundings, but quickly learns things are very different. He’s still Hiromu’s trusty bike, but his best bud is definitely not afraid of chickens anymore, nor is he the serious, anti-social warrior he’s come to know.
Instead, today is his first day as a teacher in training at an agriculture high school run by the Energy Management Center. This is where Nick watches Hiromu meet Yoko (a regular high school student), Ryuji (the P.E. teacher), Jin (the school handyman), Morishita and Nakamura (also teachers in training), Kuroki (the Vice Principal) and Usada and Gorisaki (regular ol’ laborroids) for the first time.
While J is his usual aloof, yet wise self, Nick decides to roll with the punches and tries adjusting to this Vaglass-free life. That is until the Machine Empire Mechalius, led by Machine Empress Transister, arrives to turn all animals to machines. Vice Principal Kuroki decides it is finally time to unleash his secret plan and recruits Hiromu, Yoko and Ryuji (with Jin and J) to become the Dōbutsu Sentai Go-Busters.
And so begins the wild ride as we speed through what is apparently 49 episodes of Dōbutsu Sentai Go-Busters where love blossoms, unfamiliar-colored Busters appear and the battle with Mechalius is taken to the victorious end.
But history seems to repeat itself and it is up to Nick and J to stop fate from ending their lives the same way they ended up here in the first place.
Go-Busters has been called many things and blamed for many things, but this V-Cinema is almost like an answer to any criticisms some might have had for the regular series while being a sweet treat for fans of the series and of the franchise as a whole.
Like Akibaranger is a love letter and grown-up parody of Super Sentai, Go-Busters is a love letter and more family friendly parody. It isn’t any less enjoyable though and in many ways may be more fun than the delusion-powered unofficial Sentai.
Everything about the Dōbutsu Go-Busters world plays up many Sentai tropes with familiar character archetypes, situations and overdramatic performances. And it’s all in good fun. Nick himself even points out much of craziness.
While the random hilarity of Kyoryuger has been nice and all, I think I’d much rather watch an entire, real, season of Dōbutsu Sentai Go-Busters.
But what may be the craziest part of the entire movie is that it surprisingly has a lot of heart. And especially for fans of Go-Busters, the ending and special little message after the credits should really hit close to home.
I definitely shed a tear when the Dōbutsu Go-Busters disappeared (and nobly accepted the fact that they’d cease to exist). But I was downright bawling at their little message at the end:
Thanks for watching till the end.
We did our best thanks to your support.
Don’t forget the Go-Busters.
Let’s meet again somewhere.
*sniff*
When a show like Super Sentai does things like this for movies or direct-to-DVD specials (go down the spoof/parody road), having an emotional connection to the regular series helps make the experience that much more enjoyable.
This movie, much more so than the last Sentai V-Cinemas (for Goseiger and Shinkenger, the only other ones I’ve seen), really makes one miss the original series. All the emotions from Go-Busters and its darker storyline come rushing back. But with the lighthearted take on the familiar characters, it really makes you reminisce fondly about the series, its cast, characters and story.
Overall, Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters Returns vs. Dōbutsu Sentai Go-Busters is an excellent movie. Fun, hilarious, exciting and just emotional enough to maybe be one of the best Sentai movies in recent memory. (Mine, at least. =] )
Filed under: International TV, Super Sentai
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Review: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters vs. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: The Movie – Packing The Emotional Punch of Go-Busters but With Very Little Gokaiger
TYPE OF REVIEW : GOOD OL’ REVIEW
Lots of spoilers!
After the beautiful film that is Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters Returns vs. Dōbutsu Sentai Go-Busters, I finally got my hands on the Go-Busters vs Gokaiger movie. And while it wasn’t as completely satisfying as the Dobutsu Go-Busters were, it still packed a great emotional punch.
Now Sentai VS. movies and Power Rangers team-ups all follow a standard formula. Last year’s team pops up in this year’s team’s world and they fight the remnants of last year’s villains who may or may not have teamed up with this year’s villains.
So going into the movie, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect.
The most interesting thing about this VS. movie though is that it feels a lot more like a Go-Busters movie with the Gokaigers merely guest starring. That’s not a bad thing and certainly not unique to this team-up, but for a team as well loved as the Gokaigers, it might feel like a disappointment.
Indeed, while it was great to see the Gokaigers one last time as a team, their screentime was pretty limited as well as their real interactions with the Go-Busters. Save for Hiromu and Marvelous’ couple of scenes, the other Gokaigers and Go-Busters were only featured in very brief instances.
Utilizing time and universe traveling and seeing that familiar Edo period set is to be expected on a Toei tokusatsu production. But it would’ve been nice to see a little more here, especially with Yoko, Gai and J getting plopped into the Edo period with an all too-short cameo by Jeloushitto. Not to mention a complete waste of fun English costumes on Doc, Jin and Ahim.
But the biggest reason this felt more like a Go-Busters movie was how the bond between the Go-Busters and their Buddyroids took center stage. Fans can complain about many things about Go-Busters, but they cannot pick on how well the friendship and bond between the Go-Busters and the Buddyroids (and Kuroki, Morishita and Nakamura) was established and developed. Already having that connection, but getting highlighted here made the scenes of the Buddyroids shutting down and then coming back to life all the more powerful.
That scene also proves just how amazing the original Go-Busters theme song is. As soon as you hear it kick in during a dramatic scene, you know you’re about to have tears start rolling down your cheek.
The Gokaigers watching Hiromu, Ryuji and Yoko breakdown almost made them look like random bystanders who happen to stumble upon the scene instead of fellow comrades who know all too well the toll being a Sentai team can take on bonds and friendships.
The Gokaigers’ appearance and using the “evil Gokaigers” plot device even for a just a third of the movie made their participation feel hollow. Especially since Super Hero Taisen centered on the same exact plot point; Gokaigers/Marvelous pretending to be evil for a greater plan.
So it was great seeing the Gokaigers again and great to have them finally dancing, but it almost felt like they were wasted. As were the 30 second appearances of Escape and Basco as avatars.
The nostalgia points with the Buddyroid keys, the old mecha keys, curry and chicke, a random cameo by Kaoru and Jin making that “I feel really at home in this…” comment about being in the Magiranger mecha were nice pluses.
And the action sequences seemed to be much bigger and more slick here than they have been in recent movies, both the mecha battles and the henshined fights.
But again, it was all about that emotional bond between the Go-Busters and the Buddyroids. And for a series that was all about heart and bonds, this movie fit right in with the rest of Go-Busters.
Overall, it was a nice action-packed and emotional hour and change. It would’ve been nice to have given the Gokaigers a better epilogue for their final appearance, but it was still a more than enjoyable movie.
Filed under: Good Ol' Review, Review, Super Sentai
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Review: Super Hero Taisen Z is Another Fan’s Dream, but This Time With a Great Story
TYPE OF REVIEW : GOOD OL’ REVIEW
Lots of spoilers.
Last year’s Super Hero Taisen was a complete fanwank. It was an insane and fun ride with plenty of familiar faces and lots of pretty explosions.
Having only gotten into Sentai via Shinkenger and Kamen Rider via Fourze and a little of OOO, I still thought it was an amazing movie. Maybe my lack of experience with pre-Shinkenger and pre-Fourze seasons (except the Decade X Shinkenger crosover) made me enjoy it a lot more than maybe longer or lifelong fans? I wouldn’t know where to start nitpicking.
Most of the movie made no sense and the references to past seasons went over my head. But I was able to fully enjoy Gokaiger even though I wasn’t familiar with any of the teams pre-Zyuranger and only knew of the post-Zyu teams by their Power Ranger names.
Having Mr. Joe Gibken pretty much the star of the movie helped ground it in a familiar place for me. With movies like Super Hero Taisen, I guess I go into them knowing I’m in it for the fanservice and seeing a clusterfrack of colored heroes fighting and big, gratuitous, grand explosions.
Which is why this year’s Super Hero Taisen Z felt much more cohesive, much more epic and much more awesome for me than the first.
That the main characters of this film were from seasons of Sentai and Kamen Rider I’ve actually watched, enjoyed and miss was enough to put it over the top for me. Especially having Yellow Buster herself, Yoko (Arisa Komiya), as not only one of the main stars, but the emotional heart of the entire thing.
Seeing Yoko, Ryuji, Hiromu, Usada, Nakamura, Morishita, hilarious J, Kuroki and Kuroki’s hair definitely got me missing Go-Busters again. Getting to see Haruto-tachi, including Koyomi (alive!) again was a treat sweeter than Donut Hungry’s donuts. And then there’s Gai suddenly being this badass, kick-ass boss that rounds up the troops and gets our main protagonist in Geki on the right track while still being the energetic and crazy guy we know and love.
Seeing these old friends again can easily be enough to make the whole thing worthwhile. But Super Hero Taisen Z surprisingly seemed to take much more care and effort in crafting a better and more sensical story.
The set-up was pretty simple and keeping the main action between Geki, Yoko, Gai and even Haruto and Kosuke helped to keep it that way. A strange, but cute little robot ball falls to Earth koron and is being chased by a revived Shocker. Meanwhile, Geki Jumonji, aka Space Sheriff Gavan, is on Earth investigating the use of magic that is the apparent cause for the Shocker revival and the new threat to the universe.
The film continues from there as they race to stop the revived Space Shocker and find their magic and power comes from the Space Crime Syndicate Madou who hope to consume Earth.
The story is very easy to follow, that is, until the expected cameos and old heroes start popping up merely for some good fight scenes. While it isn’t the immense clusterfrack that brought back all the previous Sentai teams and Riders, a lot of the extra teams including the current Kyoryugers felt too forced and almost shoehorned in. Though seeing Kotoha (ShinkenYellow) make a random appearance as a little wink-wink and having her come face to face with Shelly was fun. (Suzuka Morita plays both characters.)
Now, we all know just what these movies’ main purpose is, but from a story perspective, the film would’ve been just fine even if there weren’t any extra heroes popping up until Akaranger and Kamen Rider 1 brought the reinforcements at the end.
The climax of the film was unbelievable and absolutely worth the price of any admission. Bodies getting thrown around, blown up, hurled, tossed aside… it was awesome insanity. And very exciting. Then there’s Yoko and Psycholon’s own emotional climax that gave the entire film the heart that it needed to be more than just big explosions and a mish-mash of spandex, bug-eyed and chocolate-wrapper-looking heroes.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed Super Hero Taisen Z. It was more exciting and more coherent and hit closer to home for me. After last year’s Super Hero Taisen, another convergence of the Toei franchise seemed impossible, at least impossible for a sequel to make any sense. But they managed to do it with this film. Next year? Who knows.
But for any tokusatsu fan, young and old, Super Hero Taisen Z is an exciting and fun ride, with a good story to boot.
Filed under: Good Ol' Review, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai
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