Super Sentai Strongest Battle Episode 1 Review

I've made a habit over the years of correlating historical events and concurrent media. Is it just me engaging in totally specious reasoning? Absolutely! Does my Funko collection prevent alien invasion? You betcha. Point is I've found entertainment often lines up with life. Right now my household is in flux. Classes are changing, living situations are in flux, even vehicles are being swapped out, you get the picture. At the same time Super Sentai is undergoing a strange flux state with a new mini-series bridging the gap between main entries as a way of dealing with the upcoming shift of Japanese eras.

Since everything is already topsy-turvy, and because I need a break from term-papers, let's take this special mini-series as an opportunity to experiment with the recap structure around here. The biggest shift right off the bat is I intend to review each episode individually as they come out, I'm betting on two weeks before I break that goal but it's the thought that counts. Anyhow; get comfy and let's take a look at the first installment of Super Sentai Strongest Battle.

The Story:

The whole thing kicks right off with the Gokaigers, sans yellow ranger Luka, getting their asses handed to them by a freaky looking knight. Captain Marvelous notices the foe uses a move from their missing teammate which is a mystery he intends to solve as he receives a mysterious ticket that transports him and many others to planet Nemesis a place that forms only during a certain celestial event.

On this world a girl named Rika divides the different sentai heroes into teams and has them battle for the opportunity to grant their wish. And so a bunch of heroes battle each-other while the big knight, Gaisorg occasionally shows up to smack people around in search of “the strongest.” The green and black rangers from the upcoming Ryusoulger make their first televised appearance by... exploring a cave. Not really sure what's going on there. Also the show is keeping Yamato's, of Zyuohger fame, wish a secret for some reason. Even his team members don't know what he's after.

The Characters:

Our primary team of interest is a mixed bag of supposedly popular characters from the last decade or so of the franchise. In some cases I believe that pitch as I know Marvelous and Stinger were big favorites in Japan. I appreciate having Yamato front and center as he's one of the better red rangers around. Then there's Kagura from ToQger who seems a little misplaced. No doubt she has her fans but I know there are much more popular girls from the past few years. Not that it make much of a difference as she's been given nothing to do thus far. Lastly the member that makes the popularity argument totally fall apart is Takaharu from Ninninger. Thankfully this is the more matured and slightly less obnoxious version of him but if we gotta have one of the Igasaki ninja clan around there are many others I'd rather reconnect with. On the bright side at least it's not Kasumi.

The team isn't the worst but it feels more like it was determined by actor availability more than anything else. This becomes more obvious when we see that the different teams have themes like swordmasters or serious-business. This main group is “Team Weirdo” which makes very little sense. If you wanted weirdos from these respective teams wouldn't you end up with characters like Silver or Doc? Still it's nice to see Yamato again, and to see one of the better Kyurangers removed from their dreadful show. Marvelous is supposed to be awesome but I've only ever seen him in team-ups or movies so his personality always seems a bit shaky. And while I'm not against the other two I still question why they're here exactly.

Beyond that are various small cameos from different rangers. Many of them are just suit-performers with voice-acting by the original people or good imitators. In this outing alone we see people from Boukenger, Go-onger, Ohranger, Carranger, and Flashman but the best spot goes to Patranger's own Keiichiro who shows up in person. He ends up in a duel with Yamato that the two settle with a good talk. Lord help me I'd actually prefer that to be the entire series.

The Villains:

Already mentioned this Gaisorg fellow a couple of times. He's big, strong, purple, and clearly has something to do with Ryusoulger since they have the same helmet design. That's about all there is to talk about so far. Looks like he'll lose his helmet next time so maybe there will be something to discuss then.

The Action:

Strongest Battle is directed by Koichi Sakamato who has spent far more of his career working on Power Rangers than actual Super Sentai which becomes pretty obvious by how the action is staged. It's not horrible by any means only it utilizes more wire-work and flash than normal Sentai action. Beyond that everything is just really soft. Attacks don't seem to have any weight or consequence. Some maneuvers barely even register. Story wise this is further exacerbated by Gaisorg who just sort of smacks people around and walks away. Nobody is seriously injured or loses their powers or anything. Coming fresh off a show like Lupinranger vs Patranger which had excellent choreography and that crazy drone camerawork this feels like a step back.

Review:

Let's get this out of the way first. This is not the worst premier episode I've reviewed on this site. That dubious honor still belongs to Kyuranger and I expect that tile to hold for quite some time. What we have here is largely a meh scenario. The episode isn't without a few perks. The interaction between Yamato and Keiichiro was delightful as is the overall concept of a sentai-style Secret Wars. The vegetable eating bit between Boukensilver and Go-on red was pretty charming as well. Outside of those pros there's just some flabby storytelling combined with action that isn't bad, just not up to par. If this were the beginning of a full-length show I'd likely be more harsh but as it's the opening quarter of a short special series I'm fine cutting it a little slack. With any luck it will improve. If not then at least were right around the corner from something new.

And with that we conclude our first format experiment. You longtime recap readers lemme know what you think so far. Right now I need to get back to my term-paper or sleep. Quite likely one will lead to the other.

New 2019 Snacks Part 3

It recently dawned on me that, from an variety perspective, 2019 hasn't featured a wide selection of articles for this site. Thus far everything has been either Japanese television or snack food reviews but when life is practically raining lemons it's time to take a lemonade bath... so long as that's not a sexual thing. Honestly though I wouldn't trade this current avalanche of edible goodies or colorful heroes for the world. Before we pour over more treasures from the grocery store I wanted to point out how few items revolved around Valentine's Day. Sure there were a couple like the previously reviewed Love Oreo but by and large it seems like companies are looking for other ways to expand beyond the usual seasonal fare. Hopefully this is a sign of interesting things to come throughout the coming months. Enough theorizing for now. Let's get on with the food.

Mini-Wheats Fruit Medley

Yet another emerging competitor in this years cereal wars Mini-Wheats Fruit Medley provides something for the more mature crowd. I must admit that after consuming countless bowls of sugary kids cereals encountering something this refined was downright refreshing. Granted I'm not a massive mini-wheats fan but the notion of blending peaches and pears into cereal earns my undivided attention.

It's not often that I mention the graphic design of food packaging yet for whatever reason this box is incredibly appealing. It's got just the right mixture of elements and colors to seem classy without feeling overstated. Wouldn't ya know that's the perfect way to present this goodness as the scent is likewise light and pleasant.

The eating experience shares many of the common pitfalls associated with this brand. It absorbs milk at an astonishing rate and this one oddly seems to have less frosting than other varieties. Even with such issues the flavor is delightful. It has just the right twinge of fruit to liven things up and trick you into almost feeling healthy. It may not be my usual sort of snack but I'm very much a fan of these. Wish they packed a little more flavor into each bite but for what's in here I give it a near perfect rating of four and a half outta five.

Redbull Peach Edition and Pear Edition

While never the biggest Redbull fan the company has occasionally released flavors I've fully enjoyed such as the recent winter edition. As that little wonder gained some traction for the brand I was more than willing to test out the newest duo of flavors that also use some of my faovirite fruits.

Popping open the Peach Edition released a stronger smell then Redbull usually offers. One that didn't totally smack of peach for that matter since this is also nectarine flavored. That carries on to the drinking portion and something just isn't quite right about it. Both fruits have solid flavors but the sweetness of Peach sort of takes away from the dank of nectarine and vice versa. Neither one wins out and subsequently neither do we. Also find it odd that while I can take down Monster and Rockstar without issue this stuff left me drained. The proper balance of sugar and energy mix is missing. It's not a terrible drink and those with a better tolerance for the brand may get more enjoyment from it. I'm going with a two since I love peach so much and this let me down.

In a more sensible world I would normally overlook any sugar-free Redbull since even their sugary drinks can be a bit bland. Seeing as we live in the excessive land of the U.S.A. Every gas station sells this stuff in paired deals so I brought home the sugar-free Pear Edition. Of all the strange things I ended up liking this more than it's peachy brother.

First off this one makes the wise choice of sticking to one fruit. It smells like a sort of pear-infused mineral water and that's pretty much how it tastes. The artificial sweeteners aren't too obvious and even the long-term effects were easier to deal with without the full dosage of sugar. I wouldn't drink it on a regular basis but it wasn't so bad. For normal folks I'd give it two and a half but for those more accustomed to diet drinks it's more like a solid three.

Oreo the Most Stuf

Oreo unleashed a wave of new variations recently ranging from the wonderful Carrot Cake to the odd Love cookies. By comparison the most stuf edition seems downright normal. The idea is simple enough with each cookie having more than three times the usual amount of cream. For those that combine double-stuff on a regular basis this may not sound like much but I assure you these are truly something to behold. Not only are they huge but having that much solid cream makes them very substantial. As evidence I should point out that we brought these home on a cold winter day and even after dipping it in freshly brewed coffee the interior was still cool.

Truth is most of you already know how much you'll enjoy this take on the classic snack. Some people prefer lots of cream while others don't. One unexpected perk here is that they're so over-the-top that one or two cookies can calm any craving. Not the best way to maintain your weight loss goals but it works. Gonna give these three and a half as they aren't so great that we have to keep em around but they are nice fun.

Oreo Dark Chocolate

Even more Oreo, pretty sure this is the last one for the time being. Dark chocolate may not sound like much of a shift but boy are these babies ever interesting. These are dark and dank in the best way possible, essentially serving as the grown-up version of the classic cookie. That darkness makes them more resistant to liquid as well so much that the cookie starts to dissolve before cream is even affected. The best way to take these on is milk. Usually I prefer coffee but that combination is very dark, almost like a sweet cigarette with my coffee.

Very much like the Most Stuf installment you probably have a good idea how you'll feel about these. If you love dark chocolate these are probably a four out of five but for others it's likely closer to three and a half.

Cap'n Crunch's Chocolate Berry Crunch

Yet another new cereal, one of two from the Crunch brand. Chocolate Berry Crunch is right up there with the best snacks so far thanks to a combination of a sweet yet mellow flavor with the classic Crunch features like texture and a slightly greasy nature.

The berry part of this should be familiar to anyone as they're just red crunchberries but when paired with surprisingly light chocolate cereal bits everything starts to pop. It's a simple concept brought to life in expert fashion making it a bit sad that this is only a limited edition. Much as I love to heap praise on it I will admit it seems as if something is missing. Obviously it's nothing so large as to destroy the cereal but think of it this way. If the frontline of this snack wave includes the likes of Fruity Lucky Charms and Cheez-it Snap'd these are right behind them. Four and a half out of five.

Banana Cream Frosted Flakes

Yea even more cereal this time curtesy of tony the tiger. One of two recent additions to the line new Banana Cream frosted flakes seem like a bad idea on first inspection. The bright yellow box coupled with the brands history for being crazy sweet made me think of Runts in cereal form. The truth however is actually a decent snack that dares to do something different.

After opening the box you'll find standard looking frosted flakes with a smell like soy candles. The taste forgoes this weirdness and is really very pleasant and true to life. Unlike banana candy which is formulated to taste like different strain of the fruit than we're used too, these actually taste like an everyday curved nana. It even has that slight pottassium bent from the brown spots only sweater of course. Best of all the aftertaste while lengthy isn't revolting. A nice surprise and one I'd prefer to have stick around. If nothing else it proves Banana cereal can be done correctly. Easilly a four out of five.

Simply Smoothie Mixed Berry

You can probably guess from the very nature of these articles that I don't always eat healthy. That being said I do my best to make up for indulgences but I never get as much fruit as I'd like. That's largely due to me being a weirdo about texture which means smoothies should be right up my alley but that's never the case. Maybe I'm the only one that thinks this but for whatever reason smoothies never come out like a tasty mix of flavors. Instead all the fruits blend into one bland taste that's just disappointing. Ever willing to look for something that overcomes this problem brought me to the new line of Simply Smoothie drinks.

Simply brand is already a mainstay in this household thanks to better than average Orange Juice and delicious Limeade and it seems like they might have finally won me over regarding smoothies. Can't say anything about the other two flavors they have out right now but this actually tastes like mixed berries rather than fruity fiber. It's both sweeter and smoother than most smoothies I've encountered which is a definite plus for me though it begs the question of how these hold up on the healthy scale. Even so I'm willing to give this a solid four out of five.

Purple Cow Midnight Black Raspberry Ice Cream

Time for a regional item as Meijer's Purple Cow brand has brought out some new ice cream varieties perfect for us crazy Michigan folk who come in from the cold craving frozen dairy products. I've spent many nights complaining about the lack of true variety in the ice cream world as so many large brands stick to fairly safe flavors. As you might imagine the notion of black raspberry with blackberry swirl and chocolate pieces called to me like a seductive siren.

The black raspberry portion itself tastes like a component of Superman (or Scooperman) Ice cream though that's usually a form of cherry. As that is also a regional favorite some of of may have zero clue what I'm talking about but, trust me, it's good. Also I don't want to discuss Superman as I'll then have to somehow explain Blue Moon ice cream. The blackberry swirl is a smooth gel that doesn't interfere with the texture as it blends quite well. Finally those chocolate bits set the whole thing off while giving the flavor and texture some real depth.

Meijer has a tendency to do some downright senseless things in their stores but their food line often provides some solid treats. I'm happy to say they've got a real winner here, perfect for a cold night and I'm sure it'd pair excellently with cake. Really hope this flavor expands to a year round effort or some other smart company makes it more widely available. Think I'm gonna give this a perfect score of five.

And with that I'm starting to catch up on these new foods. Don't get me wrong. There's still enough out there for a few more updates but it finally feels like I can slow down and not worry about these items pushing each-other out of the nearby tiny stores. Going back to my introduction I do plan on getting some other topics running again. I say that knowing full well there's a new Sentai show to talk about starting tomorrow (slaps head). I'm feeling excited though. A lot of odd recent life events seem to be tapering off so there will be more time to get things taken care of. That's a topic for another day though. It's Saturday which means it's time to reward oneself with scary movies. Just remember to get a good snack for the occasion. I'm thinking of classic British tea time fare and Hammer flicks.

Lupinranger vs Patranger Episodes 49-51

Oh the times are changing yet again as we gather to say a fond farewell to another Super Sentai series. This one goes out at an odd time for me personally as I had the chance to view the final adventure under new living conditions. It's not a topic I bring up very often but I live in one of those multi-generational homes. Ya know, the ones the movie stars are always on about (read that in your best old lady voice). Our home was a bit undersized for the number of people but somebody moved out meaning I have a room all to myself for the first time in years. This has made my room feel sort of unreal but it's only fitting as we usher out the old and ring in the new.

Picking right up from our previous story-arc the Lupinrangers are on the run. They've left the bistro behind and are now crashing at a safe house provided by Noel and Kogure. Noel is actually in a spot of trouble himself having hidden the truth for so long, a fact that Sakuya confronts him about only to be quickly disarmed at the admission that Noel sincerely wanted everyone to get-along.

The main focus of this outing is how Keiichiro and Kairi cope with everything being revealed. For his part Kei is actually disappointed in himself for not noticing what was going on and failing to help these people as a proper peace officer should. Kousei Yuuki is fantastic in these encounters as the usually hotblooded cop is nearly reduced to tears. The first encounter between the pair mostly keeps to that topic with Kairi making it clear that it doesn't matter how good the cops are as those who can't rely on them would become thieves. Kei informs his friend of how Ganglers are using people as disguises amping the pressure on the other team to take-out Zamigo. Before they can get to that however, boss Dogranio shows up to cause some destruction and nearly destroys our favorite lawless team.

With most of the Lupinrangers hospitalized Kairi patches himself up and goes in search of Zamigo only to meet Keiichiro again. Much as the lawman wishes to help the two come to an understanding that each has a role that can't be filled by the other. One must use his position to protect the public while the other subverts the enemy with more underhanded means. They separate and the episode closes with Kairi commencing a duel against his icy rival.

Episode 50 wraps up those carryover action scenes fairly quickly and has Umika and Touma escape the hospital in order to get things moving. The audience is treated to one of the best scenes of the whole series when the pair of thieves break into Patranger HQ to recover their gear. Here they are faced with Tsukasa and Sakuya and the emotional content here is just great as the cops let them get away with the promise that they come back alive. Best of all is the moment when Sakuya wishes he'd met Umika years ago so he could have helped her but she lets him know it was better meeting as they did since it allowed her to see what a good man he really is. I've made this point before but scenes like this showcase what a great performer Haruka Kudo is.

The teams are split yet again as the Patrangers take on Dogranio and his goon while Lupinrangers go after Zamigo along with Noel who convinced Keiichiro to lend him a few collection pieces for a plan. The ensuing battle is quite the spectacle resulting in the team recovering the item that allows their enemy to liquefy his body. Just as it seems like victory is assured the fight between the cops and Dogranio spills over. Taking advantage of the situation Zamigo challenges the thieves to continue their fight within the dimensional void that is Dogranio's safe. The trio agrees but gives the police a few pieces on the way out.

At last the final battle with Zamigo takes place with two members sacrificing themselves in what seems to be an effort to bust open his leg safes. What the villain doesn't realize is they were altering the access code essentially cutting him off from his own power. Kairi deals the killing blow, restoring his friends, all they loved-ones, and everyone else who'd been captured but not used as a disguise. The three friends celebrate achieving their dream while still locked inside this sub-dimension full of collection pieces.

At last the final installment. The Patrangers with Noel are greatly overpowered by Dogranio who has a vast supply of collection pieces at his disposal. Adding further difficulty to the situation is the reluctance to outright destroy the crime boss and loose the Lupinrangers in the process.

Speaking of the phantom thieves, the trio is spending their presumed final moments thankful in the completion of freeing their loved ones and thinking on their hopes for those they saved. Eventually a realization dawns on them. Kogure had left them in charge of the collection catalog that teleports recovered pieces to the storeroom. With that they begin to rob Dogranio of his powers from within, restoring a massive amount of the collection in the process. This weakens the villain enough that the cops are able to gain the upper hand. Sadly their strongest attacks still can't break the chains that keep his safe sealed.

The following scene is a reminder of the important friendship that grew between both teams. The Patrangers are cleared to destroy this final villain yet they're unsure if they can seal the fate of their friends. Kei shuffles forward to potentially deal the killing blow as he thinks of his fondness for Kairi. Sakuya falls to his knees at the thought of never paling around at the bistro or seeing Umika again. Tsukasa holds firm but balks at her inability to protect the bonds they forged while Noel can't bare to look. A gunshot is heard.

A year later the world is a much safer place. Ganglers are scattered with only a few small groups remaining. Patrangers are held high as the image of heroism. Those that were freed from Zamigos ice prison try to continue their lives without Kairi, Umika, and Touma. Umika's friend even tries to publish a manga about a daring female phantom thief. While the trio is missing, hope is not lost. Instead of killing Dogranio the police chained him in a basement cell.

The Patrangers are called to deal with another Gangler who has one of the few uncollected pieces. Upon arrival they encounter their old friends. How could the phantom thieves have finally returned? They were rescued by Jackpot Striker, a counterpart to Goody from one of the films. Yet again it's bizarre how this series actually used the movies to create valuable plot points when so many others don't. He has a brainwashing ability that forced Dogranio to spill the contents of his safe. It's noted this makes little sense as Jack was missing. As it turns out he was reclaimed by another batch of Thieves, Kairi's brother, Umika's friend, and Touma's fiance. Noel trained them in thievery in order to complete the mission the original threesome started. The Reunion scene is pretty damn emotional, especially Kari finally having the chance to apologize to his brother. Yet again a wonderfully acted scene with Asahi Itou as Kairi stealing this last big emotional moment.

The reunion between both teams isn't quite as sweet however. The Lupin collection still isn't complete until the thieves can take the last remaining pieces from the ganglers and the stuff from the Patrangers. Thus the status quo is restored with both teams battling the ganglers and each-other.

For as much love as I have for this show the big wrap-up left me slightly cold. On one end there were some outstanding emotional moments that made the entire journey feel worthwhile. On the other end are some odd creative decisions that leave the story unfinished. A perfect example would be Noel who not only doesn't complete his mission by series end but was just sort of around for this last few episodes. In fact we never see what happens when the collection is all together, something that was the entire basis of the show to begin with. The weird disconnect at the end just doesn't feel right. To see Keiichiro shift from happiness at seeing his friends return to then shooting at them to uphold the law was unsatisfactory at best. It might all feel a bit more forgivable if this had been some all-out action-packed finale but that wasn't the case at all. Something more streamlined could have taken place in order to give these characters the send-off they deserved. This isn't a bad finale mind you, we're not talking about Dairanger here, it's just not as great as we know the series can be.

In the end I suppose that's sort of fitting for this particular show. The first half of the series was filled with so much quality while the second fell victim to poor pacing and questionable storylines. Whole sub-plots came and went with little fanfare smashed together after far too many stand-alone outings. Remember the era of angry Kairi? How about the lacking motivation for most villains? Character pairings that proved to have wonderful dramatic or comedic chemistry like Tsukasa and Noel or Umika and Kei would get maybe one episode each while others were forced down our throats. What we have is a pretty awesome show, sad part is we have the makings of a nearly perfect one.

Like any good team, we know these heroes will return. Toei has already showcased some material for a team-up movie with that dreadful Kyuranger. Keiichiro is supposed to make an appearance in the upcoming Strongest Battle mini-series. Of course we know they'll likely have a crossover with the upcoming series as well. Perhaps then we'll have enough extra material to make this ending feel more solid.

And so we wave goodbye to this batch of TV friends and prepare for what's to come. I'll miss this current crew as they brought so much entertainment, even if it came with a few frustrations. Next week begins the Strongest Battle mini-series which seems to be set as a send-off for Heisi era Sentai before Ryusoulger leads into the still unnamed new Japanese era. You Sentai fans be sure to come back for a new review format and more regular posts. With any luck we'll be treated to something amazing in the coming months.