Today, I finally found a version of Gokaiger's first episode with English subtitles (needed as my Japanese is as good as my sense of direction: non-existant), and I fecking loved it.
The story was amazingly well-written. There was cheese, but not so much I couldn't overlook it. It also really gets into the legacy of Sentai, and as I have previously stated, I love legacy. The Gokaigers transformed into 3 teams besides their, for lack of a better term, 'true form' and it rocked. The fighting was great, the music was great and the characters...wow. Whoever came up with the season premise is brilliant. All previous Sentai teams are now powerless, their powers in the hands of space pirate anti-hero's who care nothing about justice, only a legendary tresure, led by a hot-headed (and plain hot), curious, impusive money-seeker. Yeah, this rocks. Marvelous is my new favorite character, and the rest of the cast, save one, is pretty kick-ass, too.
There's only one thing I dislike so far, and another that isn't a dislike as much as a head-scratcher. How the hell did the Gokaigers get their hands on so many ranger keys? They've never been to Earth, it's said to be a rural planet, and it just doesn't make sense! I can only hope it will be adressed in a future episode. The thing I hated was Ahim. Shallow, sheltered, 'I want to help everyone', I hated her before I saw it. And if she wants to help people, why is she a pirate? By their own admission, they take what they want and smash whoever gets in their way. It doen't seem like a logical life choice for miss goody-two shoes.
So yeah. Gokaiger episode 1 was wicked awesome and I will be watching the season eagerly as long as I find eps with subtitles.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Missed Kisses
I hate Valentines Day. I don't know if its because I'm single or if it's just stupid. Either way, I did not want to to a top 3 romances for this unblessed occasion for 2 reasons: 1) See first sentence and 2) They're done to death. Instead, I'm going to do a list that is more original and more in line with my feelings. I proudly present my list of the top 3 of missed kiss moments.
Honerable Mention: Nick/Maddie in 'Mystic Fate, part 2'.
Andros and Ashley at the end of 'Countdown to Destruction, part 2'. Specifically, when Andros appears on the Megaship after saying goodbye. Sure, Ashleys reaction is touching, as is his confession that his home is with the rangers. Still, the lack of kiss feels weird. I mean, Andros is leaving his home and most of his family for Ashley, and she can't spare a little lip action? If I was her (or him) the kissing would have come before anything else.
Summer and Dillion in 'Belly Of the Beast'. This was a serious face palm moment on behalf of the writers, as we have not one, but two missed kisses in the space of a minute. Trapped in a burning Venjix factory, Summer and Dillion almost lock lips, only to be doused by water from the Whale Zord. They attempted to celebrate their new lease on life with anther kiss, only to be interrupted again, this time by Gem and Gemma, who are completely unaware of what they burst in on. Really, writers, really?
Was there ever any doubt? Wes and Jens heartbreaking separation in 'The End of Time, part 3' had me in tears the first time I watched it, and I was seven. It is, in my opinion, one of the best-written scenes in the entire series. I can still recall the feeling of loss as the two time-crossed lovers separated, thinking I'd never seen anything sadder in my life. I also remember thinking "Why aren't they kissing?" (Reminder: seven.) When small children start wondering why there is no kiss, you know someone dropped ball.
The Power Rangers writers love to tease us with flirting and almost-there-but-then-something-happened moments, and its annoying. I can only hope that the writers of samurai have figured out, through MMPR, that audiences like romances and like seeing the two we all to get together actually get together. If not, at least I'll have new material for next years list.
Honerable Mention: Nick/Maddie in 'Mystic Fate, part 2'.
The Power Rangers writers love to tease us with flirting and almost-there-but-then-something-happened moments, and its annoying. I can only hope that the writers of samurai have figured out, through MMPR, that audiences like romances and like seeing the two we all to get together actually get together. If not, at least I'll have new material for next years list.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Teams Unites: Review
The first episodes of Power Rangers Samurai, in my opinion, kicked ass. I liked a lot of it, an while i had complaints, they are objections to things specific to this episode, not to the series in general (mostly).
I liked most of it. I loved the revamp of MMPR's music for the credits, and the fight music rocked. I was disappointed by how little of the rangers, besides Mike, we saw, but the glimpses of them intrigued me. The Nighloks were enjoyable, with Dayu sending chills down my spine, and I feel that their plan was well expressed without resorting to "Hello audience. We're evil and this is our plan". The script was a little cheesy, but, hey, it's power rangers. We also got the bonus of a shirtless ranger in the first half. I realize it's a kids show, but I'm 16 and appreciate a hot guy sans top.
I have only three issues with the episode, but they really irritated me. Mainly, the episode is called "The Team Unites" but I saw very little uniting. It was all about Mike, and while it was done well, I like back story and explanations and knowing why these five people are the rangers. I got none. Please let episode two involve flashbacks, reminiscing, or some form of back story. I also hated that Mia and Emily had less then ten lines combined, and they sucked. I understand Mia is supposed to be nurture-y and Emily is naive but thats no reason to make them idiotic mutes. I'm hoping this gets resolved in the future as well. My last complaint is the theme song. Not the song itself, mind you but the shouting of the rangers names as they are credited. It's distracting and unnecessary. Please make it go away.
There you have it. I liked "The Team Unites" as it showed a lot of great potential, but it also has a way to go in the way of storytelling and dialogue. I will be watching eagerly as the season continues. However, I will be watching with the opening credits on mute, because I'm not listening to the shouting every week.
I liked most of it. I loved the revamp of MMPR's music for the credits, and the fight music rocked. I was disappointed by how little of the rangers, besides Mike, we saw, but the glimpses of them intrigued me. The Nighloks were enjoyable, with Dayu sending chills down my spine, and I feel that their plan was well expressed without resorting to "Hello audience. We're evil and this is our plan". The script was a little cheesy, but, hey, it's power rangers. We also got the bonus of a shirtless ranger in the first half. I realize it's a kids show, but I'm 16 and appreciate a hot guy sans top.
I have only three issues with the episode, but they really irritated me. Mainly, the episode is called "The Team Unites" but I saw very little uniting. It was all about Mike, and while it was done well, I like back story and explanations and knowing why these five people are the rangers. I got none. Please let episode two involve flashbacks, reminiscing, or some form of back story. I also hated that Mia and Emily had less then ten lines combined, and they sucked. I understand Mia is supposed to be nurture-y and Emily is naive but thats no reason to make them idiotic mutes. I'm hoping this gets resolved in the future as well. My last complaint is the theme song. Not the song itself, mind you but the shouting of the rangers names as they are credited. It's distracting and unnecessary. Please make it go away.
There you have it. I liked "The Team Unites" as it showed a lot of great potential, but it also has a way to go in the way of storytelling and dialogue. I will be watching eagerly as the season continues. However, I will be watching with the opening credits on mute, because I'm not listening to the shouting every week.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Power Rangers vs. Sentai
The battle of power rangers versus super sentai is a long and vicious one, with fans on both sides refusing to back down. It is also one that i will neither support nor tolerate, so please keep flames, cussing and pointless "mine is better then yours" comments off here. 'K, thanks. I will not go so far, however as to completely remove myself from it, though as a fan of both series, my position is a little less solid and a little more of an example of an indesicive carpet dance, because on one hand...
...I'm American. Like it or not, my nationality has influence on my preference. Power Rangers was written, for the most part, by Americans, for Americans, and as much as I enjoy some sentai, some things get lost in cultural translation. For example, what is up with the recurring stereotype of female rangers who can't cook but want to get married as a life goal? It bothers me, a fact that can, in fact, be atributted to culture. But on the other hand...
...Does culture really make a difference? If something's well written, it's well written. I love Hurricaneger, which was very japanese-culture heavy, and my favorite scene of all sentai I've seen was when Isshuu gave Nanami a living, breathing cow to impress her. I was laughing for two days solid, because that was hilarious in either language. Yet...
...I like the stories and characters of power rangers more then sentai. I haven't watched all seasons of sentai, but that's because a) I'm a multi-tasker and lack the patience to read subtitles, but mostly b) The stories and characters don't interest me. Even with a lot of the bad seasons of power rangers, the premise at least sounds interesting. But then there's...
...The Dork Age. And Wild Force. And Turbo. These six seasons were bad, and three (Turbo, PROO, and PRJF,) sucked so much ass that I don't have words to describe the horror they induce in me. These seasons were bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, and are a clear smack to anyone who claims Power Rangers is always better, The sentai counterparts to these seasons aren't to my taste, but they were good. Still...
...You see how it goes. I like and enjoy both, for diffrent reasons. Still, if i have to choose one, it would be power rangers. I was raised on this show, (my sister had me watching in utero and made sure i was educated about previous seasons) and as much as I enjoy sentai, a lot of its not to my personal taste. I do however respect both, and ask that you do too.
...I'm American. Like it or not, my nationality has influence on my preference. Power Rangers was written, for the most part, by Americans, for Americans, and as much as I enjoy some sentai, some things get lost in cultural translation. For example, what is up with the recurring stereotype of female rangers who can't cook but want to get married as a life goal? It bothers me, a fact that can, in fact, be atributted to culture. But on the other hand...
...Does culture really make a difference? If something's well written, it's well written. I love Hurricaneger, which was very japanese-culture heavy, and my favorite scene of all sentai I've seen was when Isshuu gave Nanami a living, breathing cow to impress her. I was laughing for two days solid, because that was hilarious in either language. Yet...
...I like the stories and characters of power rangers more then sentai. I haven't watched all seasons of sentai, but that's because a) I'm a multi-tasker and lack the patience to read subtitles, but mostly b) The stories and characters don't interest me. Even with a lot of the bad seasons of power rangers, the premise at least sounds interesting. But then there's...
...The Dork Age. And Wild Force. And Turbo. These six seasons were bad, and three (Turbo, PROO, and PRJF,) sucked so much ass that I don't have words to describe the horror they induce in me. These seasons were bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, and are a clear smack to anyone who claims Power Rangers is always better, The sentai counterparts to these seasons aren't to my taste, but they were good. Still...
...You see how it goes. I like and enjoy both, for diffrent reasons. Still, if i have to choose one, it would be power rangers. I was raised on this show, (my sister had me watching in utero and made sure i was educated about previous seasons) and as much as I enjoy sentai, a lot of its not to my personal taste. I do however respect both, and ask that you do too.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Power Rangers Samurai
Like all Power Rangers fans, I have been looking forward to the 18th season for months. However, I have my reservations about the series, as well as things I'm excited for.
The Nerve-Inducing: The tone of the series is what gives me the most nerves. I loved Shinkenger, and a good part of that is due to the darker tone. Unlike Shinkenger, Samurai has been stated to have a lighter, more comedic outlook. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as I do enjoy some lighter series (Ninja Storm immediately comes to mind), but i prefer my Power Rangers and my Sentai on the darker side. I also have reservations about the executive producer, Jonathan Tzachor. Like it or not, he is the Bruce Kalish of Saban-era Power Rangers. I wouldn't even worry except Judd Lynn, who has pioneered two of my personal favorite seasons, will not be involved.
The Awe-Inducing: It exists. This single fact makes me desperate for February 7th to get here.The high point of 2010 for me was finding out Saban had re-purchased the rights to Power Rangers and an 18th season was being planned, and I will watch faithfully. The hope for a female red ranger also has me buzzing. It's not guaranteed that the arc with Kouda will be adapted, but I have a good feeling it will be. If this happens, she will not be the first female red ranger or leader, as those titles belong to Charlie and Jen respectively, but she will be more legitimate in each role. Charlie was evil, and SPD took place in the future to Samurai's she-red will be the first chronologiclly. Jen, while a kick-ass ranger was not the full leader of Time Force, as Wes took the role of field commander. The final element that has me amped up is the inclusion of the Power Rangers legacy. For a long time the role of the legacy has been minimized, even attempting to tell us at the start of Ninja Storm that there were no such things as power rangers. This was laughed off by fans, because we like when everything is connected, and Samurai is clearly respectful of that. The theme song is a remix/cover of Mighty Morphin', there are reports of recruiting former rangers for guest apperances, and Bulk, (BULK!!!) is in the premiere episode. I love the legacy and I love samurai for loving it too.
All in all, I'm five exits past pumped for Samurai, despite my nerves over tone and Tzachor. I love Power Rangers, and am ecstatic that after 17 seasons, others love it too. May the Power live on forever.
The Nerve-Inducing: The tone of the series is what gives me the most nerves. I loved Shinkenger, and a good part of that is due to the darker tone. Unlike Shinkenger, Samurai has been stated to have a lighter, more comedic outlook. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as I do enjoy some lighter series (Ninja Storm immediately comes to mind), but i prefer my Power Rangers and my Sentai on the darker side. I also have reservations about the executive producer, Jonathan Tzachor. Like it or not, he is the Bruce Kalish of Saban-era Power Rangers. I wouldn't even worry except Judd Lynn, who has pioneered two of my personal favorite seasons, will not be involved.
The Awe-Inducing: It exists. This single fact makes me desperate for February 7th to get here.The high point of 2010 for me was finding out Saban had re-purchased the rights to Power Rangers and an 18th season was being planned, and I will watch faithfully. The hope for a female red ranger also has me buzzing. It's not guaranteed that the arc with Kouda will be adapted, but I have a good feeling it will be. If this happens, she will not be the first female red ranger or leader, as those titles belong to Charlie and Jen respectively, but she will be more legitimate in each role. Charlie was evil, and SPD took place in the future to Samurai's she-red will be the first chronologiclly. Jen, while a kick-ass ranger was not the full leader of Time Force, as Wes took the role of field commander. The final element that has me amped up is the inclusion of the Power Rangers legacy. For a long time the role of the legacy has been minimized, even attempting to tell us at the start of Ninja Storm that there were no such things as power rangers. This was laughed off by fans, because we like when everything is connected, and Samurai is clearly respectful of that. The theme song is a remix/cover of Mighty Morphin', there are reports of recruiting former rangers for guest apperances, and Bulk, (BULK!!!) is in the premiere episode. I love the legacy and I love samurai for loving it too.
All in all, I'm five exits past pumped for Samurai, despite my nerves over tone and Tzachor. I love Power Rangers, and am ecstatic that after 17 seasons, others love it too. May the Power live on forever.
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