Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
If you have an email ending in @hotmail.com, @live.com or @outlook.com (or any other Microsoft-related domain), please consider changing it to another email provider; Microsoft decided to instantly block the server's IP, so emails can't be sent to these addresses.
If you use an @yahoo.com email or any related Yahoo services, they have blocked us also due to "user complaints"
-UE
If you use an @yahoo.com email or any related Yahoo services, they have blocked us also due to "user complaints"
-UE
Comments
I've started watching Jetman and Dekaranger. Only at episode 5 for each of them. Dekaranger's humor just doesn't feel like my kind of thing. Like the robot dog urine. I do love how kooky the Jetman villains are, though. Like the robot who doesn't walk on the floor, or that kid who trapped some of the team by building brick walls around them. Dekaranger doesn't seem to have any actual main villain so far, except possibly the guy providing those mooks to random villains. At least, I think that's what he does.
DON'T DO IT
Okay, Jetman is pretty great, it just has an... ending...
I don't quite get what you mean, so I guess I'll just finish it and see for myself.
Anyway, Dekaranger's narrator explaining the "Judgement" thing every time they use it is just too annoying. Episode 6 had it explained twice over!
Also, I'm confused as to why the Jetman team needed to transform the second time they form the giant robot, considering the first time they didn't transform to pilot and combine the Jet Machines. And how many melee weapons does Jet Icarus actually have? Episode 6 has a lance and sword, and the next ep preview shows (what appears to be) a hammer.
Yeah, sorry, I was just trying not to spoil it.
Jet Icarus has like... six to seven weapons if I remember correctly.
I liked the Dekaranger announcer guy...
I don't mind his voice, just that there's no reason for him to say the same thing twice in one episode like that.
Also, I've started to watch Agito too, and so far G3 has been pretty ineffectual, so I'm thinking of him (and his crew) as more like the support teams in Ultraman rather than a proper super hero.
Speaking of G3, he's getting a new figure... in Max Factory's Figma. Okay, it's not really G3, but apparently it's the same actor. I think he looks neat, even though I don't know much of anything about Time Scoop Hunter. I feel like I gotta have that, since he looks like the kind of character I can shoehorn into some random spy/special ops/military/whatever organization. (why not? Toys are for pretend anyway)
I have never heard of this show yet, I want that figma so badly.
It is really well made, especially the matte look to the 'fabric' parts. The only thing I can really complain about is the facemold looking kinda squashed but that always seems to happen if you're not crazy comedy man.
Weirdly enough I think we're still talking about toku since Time Scoop Hunter is technically a live action special effects show.
G3 has to struggle a lot, but they kitbashed that suit out of robot parts and stuff. And Hikawa has the biggest balls in the world. He'll come into his own later when he gets better parts.
Kyoryuuger 02 & 03: I love it!
But the pacing is terrible!
I also really like all the toys stuff!
Hikounin Sentai Akibaranger 2suu 01: I half-hope that whatever that was will be this seasons theme song and also half-hope it won't.
It seems like they're going for an alternate timeline setting where Aoyagi was asked to actually join the pentagon instead of... that thing that happened in the actual series. I like all the nods they had like Dr. Hakase being nervous around the Dekaranger incident and expounding Nobuo's weird "Women of Sentai" fantasy. The final battle was really cool and for some reason I'm still kind of shocked at the entire gathering, I wasn't expecting to see all the suits.
I liked it a lot.
Ultraman Retsuden special episode: Ultraman Gaia 15th anniversary recap... or something. I say y'all should watch this, if you don't mind getting spoiled on something more than a decade old that nobody's planning to sub anyway. They got Hassei Takano back to play Fujimiya again. Rider fans might know him as Raia from Ryuki, or Ichimonji from those Showa remake movies. Man, he looks so different now. I hear he's now married to an actress from Gaia, (his own love interest, or something) and their daughter in Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers really is their daughter. Speaking of actors, I think the guy who played Kougami in OOO is also in this, although I'm not really sure who he plays.
Anyway, the video recaps a portion of the Gaia series. First 11 or so minutes covers the Gaia-Agul conflict. Damn, that female "AAAA-AAAAH" that follows Agul around is awesome.
Also, the music playing at around 16 minutes felt really nostalgic, even though I don't really remember Gaia very well. It was... odd, in a good way. This is possibly the closest I've come to feeling like a kid again recently.
I don't think Ultraman Gaia is gonna get subbed, anytime soon, but now I really feel like saving up the 30-40 thousand yen* I'm gonna need to buy the complete series boxset if I ever get to. (It's out of print now, but it seems like getting that will still cost less than buying all the individual R2 DVDs. The cheaper Malaysian DVDs are somewhat out of the question for Gaia, since they seem to be dub-only, strangely.)
Anyway...
Dekaranger episode 7 and 8: These two Jasmine-focused episodes were actually really good. No annoying humor or anything either. Still haven't seen much from the main villain, though.
I already find him really awesome, despite being ineffective. You gotta respect a guy who strives to do better to save people, even when it looks nearly impossible. I know he upgrades to G3-X later on, although I don't know the details.
By the way, I think Ultraman costumes are better than Sentai mecha suits, since they at least make it relatively easy for the stuntmen to do some cool acrobatics and whatnot.
*no, I don't save money in actual yen, but that's the more relevant currency here.
Akibaranger Tsuu S.H.Figuarts!
Red, Blue and Yellow. I like how they made a minimal amount of change with the girls and are still selling them at full price. I like Yellow a lot.
I've only ever paid that much for the Eureka Seven DVD Boxsets (36,000 yen for 50 Episodes+Stuff).
Being nerd is truly suffering.
I think that's only due to being out of print. I saw (what I think was) the complete Ultraman Dyna box going for about that much on Mandarake. The Ultraman Mebius box (50 TV episodes, plus the three Gaidens) is only selling for 22,789 yen on Amazon, which is about 32% off retail price. This is only gonna be like, a long term goal more than anything else. Maybe I'll have it in two or three years. However, Ultraman Gaia's individual discs are selling from 3000-3990, and that's gonna hurt even more. Plus there's how shipping on Amazon is charged per item instead of by weight, and that adds up.
Meanwhile, I'm really digging Agito's transformation sequence. The belt appears, it lights up, and when the light completely engulfs Shouichi, he turns into Agito. That is just beautiful. Also, subsitute G3 is surprisingly competent for somebody being made to look so unlikeable. He also had a good point earlier on about mass-producing the G3 system. I mean, it's not like you need a special power to use it. Just be competent. I think that's what the G3 Mild costume represents...?
Considering that even straight-up rerelases don't have their price reduced, that's not really surprising...
By the way, Godzilla movies go under here too, right? I'm getting started on the Classic Media boxset I have. The first movie was really... different from other toku I've seen. Serizawa felt more like a victim than a hero compared to other toku heroes. Like, he's not somebody who could ever be an "equal" to Godzilla, despite being a super genius and all. His "showdown" was more like a tragic death than a triumphant battle or anything.
Oh and before I forget: More Ultraman Ginga info, in case anybody hasn't seen it yet. Cast are new/inexperienced actors, but the directors all have experience with Ultra Series .
Anyway I thought that the transformation pose being reliant on placing your hands on your hips was just ridiculous.
And no, piloting G3 DOES need something special; you need solid steel balls the size of cannonballs, which compels you risk breaking every bone in your arm because it needs needs to be done. That's what Hikawa has and the asshole doesn't.
Eh, that doesn't sound any more of a requirement than say, the Ixa system, or the Birth Driver. It's not like the thing uses zombie DNA as fuel (Kaixa), or poisons people who aren't vampires (Dark Kiva). Didn't the prototype for Ixa tend to burn people using it for too long?
Not any more ridiculous than having to run a scanner over your waist. Or having to yell your name before every transformation. (okay, that second one is not a Rider thing)
It basically comes down to; "The asshole will freeze up when the shit hits the fan, because he's a normal guy. And normal people have no business opposing their guardians. Hikawa won't because his courage is overwhelming. Psychopaths (I think this will come up later) won't because they forgot what it was like to be afraid."
Also the conditions for IXA working was totally arbitrary.
Uh, define "normal guy"...? That just makes me think of Ultraman Tiga, for whom "normal person" was a huuuuuge point for the character. (okay, he was partially "normal guy" as in he wasn't an alien or anything, but his lack of remarkable traits is also a highlight, especially when the "not only am I a super genius, I also work out a lot" dude gets in the picture)
Also, up to episode 12 for Jetman and Dekaranger now. The Vyram are amusingly weird with their plans. Noodles that make people violently impatient, controlling people by playing dress-up. Seems that they care more about having fun than actually winning at this point, though. The Jet Icarus fights so far feel like they're only there because they have to be, and not much is really being done. As for Dekaranger, Umeko-centric episodes have so far been not my thing, although I like that she seems to have a thing for "Te no Hira wo Taiyou ni". The cast are mostly alright otherwise, although Banban would be easier to take seriously if he can decrease his loudness more often.
Normal guy as in "Person who works nine-to-five and doesn't have to deal with brutal murders, monsters in the dark, and contacting next-of-kin on a regular basis."
Yeah, that's pretty much the main character from Tiga. Or hell, his entire team, considering that they weren't a military/combat unit at first, just a group with neat gadgets and vehicles.
For DokiDoki Precure fans: pictures of Cure Sword's uncle (or whatever) as an S.H. Figuarts. August release scheduled. (isn't Decade getting rereleased around that time?) Looks preeeetty neat, although 3990 Yen feels a little much. Hopefully stores will have a good discount.
So hey, DekaMaster is pretty cool.
Also, lol episode 14 plot device being called "Luna Metal".
Ban was more than a little immature going "I hate you, Boss", though.
There's some new battle music this episode which, I didn't hear too well, but it felt more... intense than using the opening theme during a fight.
NHS x triple-posting confirmed for OTP
DekaMaster is the best. I really like his entire style, plus that episode where the Dekarangers attempt to leave all the hard work to him.
Ban can be somewhat immature I guess, but he's usually more of a think before doing guy.
He's cool enough that I might watch Power Rangers SPD someday too. Maybe whenever Shout Factory gets to doing single-season boxsets, and starts releasing the Disney years. Now that I mentioned that, I didn't get to properly keep up with RPM.
By the way, the DekaMaster costume reminds me more of some Rider suits, like Agito or maybe Den-o. It's a black "base" suit with plastic armor bits stuck on, unlike regular ranger outfits. And the base suit seems to have a different sheen or texture than spandex. I'm not sure what I'm getting at here, though.
Also, Black Condor has become real sympathetic so far, (just finished ep 14 for Jetman) despite being kind of unpleasant.
@Naas: Stop being attached to Gai, right now.
I'm sorry, but this is literally one of the biggest things about Jetman (and the thing I talked about earlier).
I liked Ako because well, she was Ako (And Blue sentai are always the best Sentai). I think she might've been the basis for GokaiYellow's entire thing but I think Ako was smarter (though I watched like, only the first couple of episodes of Gokaiger).
Dude, now you're just getting my hopes up that he gets something resembling the not depressing yet not happily-ever-after endings some Ultras get.
(no actual quotes here, just summing them up as best as I've can. For the Showa ones, I haven't actually seen the endings, though, just read about them)
Dan (Ultra Seven): I can't stay here much longer. I'm almost dead now. We won't meet each other again, but you'll see me as a light next to the morning star. (this one is kinda legendary)
Goh (Return of Ultraman): I must go now, my (well, Ultraman's, but he's pretty much stuck as Ultraman Jack forever) people need me. Don't be sad, kid. (The kid tries to recite the 5 Ultra pledges while he's still crying, too. I might have seen a clip of this, but not 100% sure)
Asuka (Dyna): No, I can't fall into a black hole, I'm supposed to return to my friends. ohai dad who's been missing for fifteen years. Wait, is this actually happening or this some trippy visual metaphor?
Himeya (Nexus): Yay, I'm at peace with myself now. But I'm probably dead, despite what the epilogue looks like. (not really the ending of Nexus, but more the ending of Himeya's storyline)
No it's mostly just a dumb kick in the guts in the final episode.
Well, I just have to see how it goes then.
And about that Return of Ultraman ending
Also, since this thread was originally meant to cover current stuff:
Ultraman Retsuden continuing from the previous episode. Actually covers mainly the same timeframe as the previous one, but from Fujimiya/Agul's perspective, somewhat. He gets to be pretty cool in this. Almost funny how Agul gets assigned near-equal importance as Gaia, considering he isn't in that many episodes. (at least Agul isn't. Maybe Fujimiya has some episodes where he doesn't transform) "Beat On Dream On" doesn't make a very good battle theme, by the way.
And another thing: New Retsuden (Ginga) stuff on the Tsuburaya blog. Based on Google Translate, not really any new info, except that apparently their group is called Team Ginga.
I hear Ishimori Pro are collaborating with some Indonesian studios or something:
Apparently the title and hero's name is Bim Satria Garuda. If "bima" means the same thing as "bima sakti", I assume his name is basically Galactic Phoenix Knight, or something. Actually, the way he says it, it sounded more like "BIMA: SATRIA GARUDA", so maybe it's "Bima the Phoenix Knight". I find it funny that both Ishimori and Tsuburaya have upcoming heroes with "galaxy" in their names. (I haven't found any source saying this is an Ishimori collab yet, though)
Other stuff I can get from the trailer:
I can't tell, though: is the hero from "our" earth, or FUDO's world?
I have no idea if anyone's going to sub this, or if I should care.
Looks interesting. I hope somebody actually subs this, unlike that Chinese series from last year.
I hope every nation jumps on the toku bandwagon.
Tsuburaya tried that in the '90s with an American and Australian collab. I hear the American was terrible, despite the neat costumes. I think I did watch a few episodes of the Australian one over a decade ago, although I don't remember much of anything besides the transformation sequence.
Anyway, up to episode 17 of Dekaranger. I am a little confused as to whether or not the team has some form of chain-of-command. Why does Umeko calle herself "leader"? Why is Ban number 1 even though he doesn't actually give orders? And the TV Nihon-isms have so far been pretty annoying, at least since they're inconsistent. Example:"Deka" is sometimes translated (like, actually translated, not TL-noted) as "detective", but sometimes not. As for the episode itself... wow, and I thought Kamen Rider G was kinda pushing it. Can a person somehow get drunk less than a minute after gulping?
Up to ep. 17 on Jetman too. I didn't mind the romance stuff, but throwing Raita in it just feels forced. And doesn't he already have a girlfriend anyway? More importantly, perhaps, is that we now have a main villain. Also, seeing those crystals protrude from people's skin was just horrifying for a live-action kids' show. I did not get into toku for this kind of thing! (no, I don't mind the gore in Garo, because the CGI blood looked fake, and there wasn't noticeable focus on actual physical pain anyway)
What was the name of the American/Australian show?
Also, Ban is number one because he has the least experience. Consider Doggie being number one hundred.