Godzilla All in a Row Part 4

Today's a special entry folks, not so much in the content as what it hearkens back too. Five years ago I made a three part series offering quick overviews of every Godzilla movie made up to that point. Lord knows how bad the writing may have been but the curious and bold can follow the links to find out. While I sometimes find it impossible to believe CosmicSparky has been running that long there's a sort of fuzzy feeling in returning to an old piece of work. Return I must however as the following years have placed us in a similar situation. A new Godzilla flick is on the way and in the time since our last overview there have been plenty of new films staring everyone's favorite atomic lizard.

Godzilla (2014)

The inspiration for the original series of articles, though a film I neglected to cover since, the 2014 U.S. Made rendition of Godzilla has its group of detractors though I recalled it being quite decent. In anticipation of the new entry, and this article, I decided to revisit the film to see how it had held up.

What sticks out immediately is how serious and restrained this particular zilla flick is, a tone that puts it in the same company as more dramatic installments such as the original or Shin. The opening segment involving a crisis at an energy plant is one of the most satisfying bits of human storytelling within the entire franchise. The film then turns into a globe-trotting adventure of an emotionally stunted man doing anything to protect his family from the emergence of giant monsters.

The most common complaints about this movie are how little it shows of the title beast, and that the characters are a bit stiff. Both these issues have merit though they tend to overlook the upside of framing the story this way. As someone who's seen every Godzilla movie, most of them multiple times in fact, I've found that more screen time for him tends to equal a weaker overall film. There may not be a ton of big-G content here but all of it is top tier stuff and his new opponents, the Muto's, are nothing to scoff at either. And while the main character is emotionally stiff that tracks with his background of loss and military career. The important thing is his journey which begins with mending relations with his father and setting out to protect his family, a quest the mirrors Godzilla's own quest to stop the other monsters.

For anyone who balks at the film I'd totally suggest a revisit. It had been years since my last viewing but it hooked my interest all over again. Truly a strong installment in the franchise which is all the more important is that it proves the United States can make an actual worthwhile Godzilla film.

Shin Godzilla

Some movies, through no fault of their own, find themselves inexorably linked with troublesome events. I had been waiting ever so impatiently for Shin Godzilla to hit the states, making sure I had enough extra cash to pick up the blu-ray on day one which required me to nearly dislocate my arm reaching around a cleaning barrier at the local wal-mart to snag a copy. Even though I wasn't going to watch it until my usual Saturday night festivities I wanted the assurance of having it near.

That Saturday turned out to be something of a mess as I spent many hours away from home dog sitting as my sort of aunt, it's a long story, was struck by a car that afternoon. When I was finally home at night I went through with my viewing plans as there was nothing I could do about the situation and she passed during the viewing. To this day just looking at my copy can bring that weekend back to mind.

I'd wanted to revisit the film for a while but was a bit gun-shy considering the aforementioned events but I finally managed to watch it again without anyone passing. I'm all the more glad for it as this really is an excellent addition to the series. Not unlike the original this focus slowly on Japan dealing with the emergence of Godzilla. There are no other monsters, no alien visitors, no psychic powers, just politicians, scientists, and military coming together to battle the impossible. Not only is Godzilla massively redesigned for this outing but what he represents has been updated as well. Rather than the atomic bombs of WWII this monster is more of a personification of modern issues like power plant meltdowns and the governments bloated system that prevents proper handling of the situation. It's a very political film with a boatload of characters who all exist more as talking heads than real personalities but there's still plenty to enjoy here.

First off, I adore this version of Big-G. From his googly eyes to his jagged teeth he's a real horror show. The pathos surrounding him is totally different than past versions as the majestic beast has been replaced with a twisted mutant living in constant pain. The final reveal of how his mutation might continue could have made for one excellent sequel, hopefully someone will reuse the idea someday. His rampage at around the hour mark stands out as one of the best scenes in franchise history, well worth watching for that part alone. Despite how talkative the film might be there's plenty of energy and interesting filming techniques to keep things interesting throughout. Not the sort of movie to show folks looking for popcorn thrills but a good time if you like your Kaiju entertainment to be a bit more heady.

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters

While Legendary was expanding their monsterverse with a new King Kong flick Toho opted for something different by allowing a computer animated Godzilla trilogy to enter production. The resulting Godzilla Earth series has upset more than a few fans with its slow pacing and focus on bizarre philosophical concepts. Still; there are some truly interesting moments to be found throughout the series with part one being the closest to a crowd-pleaser.

The set-up is that Godzilla has ravaged the modern world to the state that humans are working alongside alien races who likewise had their own planets destroyed by giant creatures. The plan is to launch Mechagodzilla to fend of the green Goliath but things go south and Earth is evacuated. Years later life on the spaceships is harsh and a young man named Haruo challenges his fellow men to return and reclaim their home. They do so but find the process of warp travel has made it so centuries have passed for this planet which has now adapted to Godzilla as its lord and master.

After the opening drama the film switches to an action perspective as the three species struggle against the big dude and other lifeforms that have evolved to meet this harsh environment. Countless lives are lost but a path to victory begins to emerge. That is until the nasty twist ending. More than anything the endings for these films as imagined by writer Gen Urobuchi are just so damn mean.

Certain flaws permeate this whole trilogy from the odd animation style to the characters that act more as stand-ins for viewpoints than actual living people. The pacing can be glacial with this first adventure having the most traditional action. The real draws are the nutty concepts, twisted endings and witnessing new versions of classic monsters that are depicted as something closer to gods. Most viewers give the edge to this first installment likely due to the amount of action though I think that actually makes for the most boring of the three so it depends on what you're looking for in your entertainment.

Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle

Oh boy, City on the Edge of Battle gets a lot trash talk which is to be expected since this is one of the most downright strange entries in the entire series history. If you thought the previous film was slow and talky this one was designed to drive you mad.

Recovering from the events of part one our surviving heroes make connect with a tribe of humanoids who live underground. Eventually the find the weapon that may tip the scale of battle in the form of Mechagodzilla. Just like everything else, he has evolved. Instead of the big robot he once was now stands a full city made of a unique adaptive metal, think of a living 3-D printer. Most of the run-time concerns characters debating ideologies and preparing for a battle against Godzilla that takes up maybe fifteen-twenty minutes before another balls out crazy ending.

As the Earth series continued, fan reception got worse and worse though I imagine this one will rise above that hate sometime in the future. Not for any specific reasons so much as the overall weirdness of it all and the cruel wrap-up. It seems like there's something of real merit here, even if it isn't always evident what that could be.

Godzilla: The Planet Eater

At last the Earth trilogy comes to a close. You should get the drill by now. If you didn't care for the previous two offerings of weird metaphysics and moral debates then this will have you banging your head against the wall. If however you enjoy whacko head-trips then you can still have some fun.

Almost entirely wiped-out by the previous battle with Godzilla the few survivors find themselves drawn into a cult by some of their alien companions. Meanwhile a few others like Haruo are still focused on destroying Godzilla. Oh, and there's a colossal golden energy dragon coming from another dimension, and at one point we end up in the cockpit of the plane that dropped bombs on Japan. There’s also a rather effective bit of eye-gauging. In case you haven't guessed by now, this thing is bonkers and there's plenty of folks who hate it.

Whether you should watch The Planet Eater, or any of the Earth trilogy for that matter, is entirely dependent on what you want from this series. If you're here solely for action and fun there's little to none to be found. If you can deal with lacking characterization in favor of strange ruminations on life and the cosmos then you might enjoy yourself. I'm personally fine with both approaches so these movies still offer plenty to enjoy.

Looking back it becomes obvious that most of this decade was spent on finding new approaches to Godzilla in order to make more serious films. The result is a number of movies that don’t always aim to please and aren’t infinitely rewatchable popcorn entertainment yet I’m very pleased to have them around. A good number of entries in the franchise already fit so many categories from action, horror, kid’s stuff, and outright insanity, mixing in this batch of somber efforts gives the series that much more variety and provides an excellent build-up now that King of the Monsters seems poised to offer plentiful monster smashing fun.

With that we’re all caught up with the current state of Godzilla flicks. Don’t know about you all but I’m giddy as a kid at Christmas for the newest movie. Between the talent involved and the all-star kaiju line-up this one looks to be a dream. Not long after that will be the rematch of King Kong and Godzilla which I’m not looking forward to as much due to it being directed by a man who seems allergic to making decent cinema. Still; my fingers are crossed that it will turn out to be a worthy installment so I’ll just have to wait and see. After that I’ve heard Toho has plans to do their own monsterverse movies which means the fifth of these articles isn’t that far off. That’s all for now friends. See you at the theater.

Ryusoulger Episodes 7-9

The past few months have been filled with changes, some small and normal like searching for a new job, others large and troublesome like losing two dogs. Change is a frustrating thing which often brings me back to comfort zones like these silly Super Sentai shows. During these months I've also found myself revisiting a number of favorite stories.. Basically I've been checking in with what I enjoy about storytelling evaluating what I'd like to bring to the medium through my own work, even if it may just be sharing opinions as a guide to entertainment. Taking in all that content has made Ryusoulger less important to my weekly schedule. All the more so with the show seemingly missing something important. After breaking the new two episodes at a time format I can see this show has hit the make it or break it period earlier than usual and will soon have to reveal if it has the guts to become something truly worthwhile. Dive in with me and we'll discuss.

Story:

In recent weeks, Ryusoulger has treated us to a two-part adventure guest-staring a couple of pop stars followed by an episode focused on Melto that could mark a shift within the series. All this action is framed around the arrival of a new villain named Wyzul. Something I rarely note in these articles is the difficulty of names having different translations will bring different spellings. Wyzul is practically the living embodiment of this phenomenon as I've encountered three different versions of his name already.

Anyhow, this new bad guy shows up around the same time as a new singing monster and a pair of alien princesses, one of which has been kidnapped by the villains. The main focus of part seven is introducing Wyzul whom I'll talk about later while the team runs a rescue mission. Of importance here is that at one point our heroes seem to beat Wyzul only to find he can use regular minions as decoys.

Episode eight is where much of the actual story happens with the princesses being a bit overbearing about feeding an energy source they supposedly stole from the Druidons to the dinoknights in order to make them stronger. A certain amount of trickery is needed in order to flush out the truth which is that the princess they rescued is actually Wyzul in disguise and the energy source is a bomb meant to kill the Ryusoulger crew. As for the real princess, she's actually inside the current Druidon which is yet another added wrinkle to how these creatures can work.

We get the best example of teamwork within this installment as Koh decides the dinoknights must eat the energy source in order to get the princesses to safety while Bamba and Melto come up with some tricky strategies to survive. Finally Asuna is a linchpin as her horrible singing is vital to defeating the monster, the host is allergic to lousy singing, while Towa goes inside to rescue the captive girl.

Episode nine involves most of the team being sucked into an alternate dimension within a Minosaur shaped like a treasure chest. This realm will grant wishes to the point that they become dangerous, think wishing for food only to eat too much. While most of the group is oblivious to the danger, Melto sees the threat closing in around them but is also shaken by a lack of confidence in himself along with distrust between himself and his teammates. The appearance of his former master through either a delusion or some metaphysical soul connection, guessing the later, allows him to take charge as a proper strategists and aid his friends. This marks a great shift for him and the others as they begin to strike a balance between thinking through problem and facing them head on as the situation may require.

Outside of that magic realm we witness Bamba tracking down the true host of this minosaur which turns out to be a miniature garden box. In traditional Japanese fashion even objects have emotions which can be manipulated to create new minosaurs. Nine was easilly one of the best installments so far and showcases how advancing the characters could be key to a stronger show.

Heroes:

Ryusoulger has lacked for meaty character development which seems to finally be changing. Most of the group are still operating as types rather than full personalities as the steps towards actualization can be quite small. A moment that stick out to me occurs in part nine when Towa wishes for an endless stream of enemies to train against. His antics cause so much trouble that Koh actually puts him to sleep for his own safety. This illustrates how the writers are getting a better grasp of team-dynamics.

The idea of Asuna the battle with her terrible singing may seems like silly nonsense but for a show primarily aimed at children this is a wonderful lesson. Here's a hero using a weakness to save the day. It's another instance of this person who wants to be seen as girly failing at stereotypical girly things but in a way that benefits those around her. In the states the temptation for most shows is for someone to either do well at everything or have the ability to get better at everything. Showcasing how a flaw can provide strength is awesome to show kids and continues the recent trend of Sentai with strikingly stable views towards mental health and personal worth.

Still the M.V.P. Statues goes to the Tatsui family. Both Ui and her father don't have much to do within the primary conflict but each is so well done from the outset and the performance between them so solid that they're holding this show together when it might otherwise become boring. Each of them is getting better thanks to moments like the dad's mockery of different situations, and Ui's aid in missions such as using her cellphone to bug a conversation with the fake princess.

Villains:

The introduction of Wyzul is a huge upgrade over Tankjoh. Here's a villain with style, humor, and cunning who's already thrown new challenges at the team. As noted previously the series looks like it will cycle through a multitude of baddies which means We likely won't have this chap for very long. While a sad thought considering his entertainment value his current value as a sign of growth for the show can't be overstated. Within less than ten episodes we've moved on from a generic strongman who only requires our heroes to be strong to someone who asks that they think and analyze the situation.

Action:

While there's no singular great action sequence to commend during these episodes, there is a noticeable emergence of individual fighting styles for the heroes. Blue is a bit slower and methodical, Pink is hyper and destructive. Each has a more solidified approach to how they deal with battle and the stunt crew is doing an excellent job. Of particular note is Asuna's suit-actress. She's actually the same stunt performer who doubled for Umika last year but here her body-language and overall styles meshes so much better with the character. It's a small touch but one that's vital to selling this sort of show.

Overall:

During the past few weeks I've noticed a few complaints from folks online that see something wrong with this series yet don't really seem to know what it is. Admittedly I haven't found myself terribly attached to the events so far and these episodes have illustrated what the issue is and that it may actually be remedied soon. In general this is a solid show. The gimmick is catchy without becoming unbearable, the style is a bright mix of retro with modern simplicity, the action is well done, and there have been story beats outside of the normal Sentai formula. What's been hurting the series so far is that the core five heroes haven't been clearly defined in a way that makes them endearing. There isn't even a true stand-out hero so far with their support crew proving to be more interesting. This set of episodes, mainly nine, does an enormous amount of lifting in developing these people which will hopefully be the norm for a while as the initial set-up period is over. Likewise I hope this meatier content gives the actors more chance to grow.

The next installment looks like it will tackle the biggest obstacle by focusing on Asuna. It's sad to say but after seeing many recent Sentai with excellent heroines she may be the least compelling character. Most of the time she simply comes across as brainless and selfish which is a far cry from the wonderful scene where she talked Ui down from suicide. I want to see that person again, not the current loudmouth.

Seeing as this recap has been all over the place I'd say it's time to wrap up. With all the recent changes I'm glad as ever to have this franchise around for comfort but I'd like to feel safe that it is working towards becoming something more interesting than it is right now. I like this whole genre ans nothing makes me quite as happy as when I can wholeheartedly endorse series like Kamen Rider Gaim or Ninja Sentai Kakuranger. That's the sort of stuff I want to see hitting the airwaves. For now let's keep our fingers crossed that these dinosaur heroes can step their game up.

Godzilla 98 Music Video Trilogy

At the end of this month the world will be treated to the hirty-fifth film in the Godzilla franchise. As someone who has seen all of these flicks you can safely assume I’m stoked for this newest outing, Honestly I’m feeling spoiled having so many great expansions to favorite series pop up this year be it Endgame, Glass, or the recent announcements of The Collector 3, and trailers for remakes of classic games like Medievil and Final Fantasy Vii. This got me thinking about how things were when I was still a kid which brought me back to one of the weirdest bits of Godzilla history.

The summer movie season of 1998 was an odd one for sure. Starting with the pre-game efforts we had a season full of both garbage and treasure ranging from Species II, Lost in Space, The Truman Shows, The Mask of Zorror, The X-Files, Lethal Weapon 4, and two separate movies about killer meteors. Thankfully it all wrapped up with Blade proving that comic book films could be awesome. Still the big lynchpin of Summer was Godzilla as produced by the guys who made Independence Day. This thing was everywhere with a massive advertising campaign, toys, fast food tie-ins, an upcoming cartoon, and that hallmark of 90s blockbusters, a licensed soundtrack.

Godzilla the album offered a selection of mostly alternative rock fare with all manner of bands you wouldn’t normally associate with a giant atomic lizard. We’re talking the likes of Ben Folds Five, Foo Fighters, Days of the New, and Rage Against the Machine. The selection of talent on display made no sense in relation to the film and was looked upon by twelve/thirteen year old me as lousy music. If that poor naive bastard only knew of the musical horrors that would exist in the twenty-tens I bet he'd have a different view. Anyway; a trilogy of tracks were released as singles with accompanying music videos and that is what we’re really here to talk about.

I’m going to cover these three videos in the order of least to most Godzilla visuals which means we begin with The Wallflowers cover of the David Bowie track, Heroes. According to wikipedia this was not the most successful of the singles but I don’t buy it personally. Maybe it’s a Michigan thing but I couldn’t escape this song back then and still here it once in a while at stores or on the radio. From a musical standpoint I never thought much of the track, it neither offends nor please the ears so much as it exists as a more digestible take on Bowie’s original. Frankly I like Peter Gabriel's take the best.

The video maintains the rainy and dark motif from the film that carries into the other singles as well. We open with helicopters buzzing through the New York skyline as a building crumbles and loud noises begin to sound. None of this is any concern to the Wallflowers who are focused on preforming their song inside an apartment. Lord only knows where in New York you could find an apartment this large and play music in it without a large sweaty man banging on your door but I guess that’s all part of the fantasy.

Somebody who isn’t enjoying themselves is a mopey girl in a red hoody, perhaps a girlfriend, I like to pretend she’s a doormat sister who lets her brothers band crash at her place. She walks out to the street in time to witness Godzilla come by with us only being treated to his feet and tail which he uses to bash out the apartment wall. Still unfazed She continues across the street to a convenience store to pick-up some milk. She leaves money upon realizing there’s no cashier then walks back to her place as the band wraps up the song and everything ends with Godzilla’s roar. The tacky version from the film that’s augmented with a falcon screech or something.

The entire production seems pricey for the time with the ruined street, constant rain, and all that jazz but one has to wonder why that money wasn’t backed up by some sort of storytelling. A band covers a song while a sad girl picks up some milk. Makes me wonder if this served as some inspiration for Cloverfield with pretty young people so focused on their own issues to be unaware of the giant monster coming to stomp on them.

Sadly unable to make photos of this one. At least this way you get your fill of giant hats.

Next up is Deeper Underground from Jamiroquai and I gotta admit that before diving into this topic I don't think I'd ever seen this. That being said it’s probably my favorite of the trio in the musical sense. Wouldn't purposely turn it on but it’s not something I’d run from either. Thematically both the song and video have slightly more in common with the film though we get about the same amount of big-G screen time. Even with the closer connection, things still seem kind of generic which makes sense as there's supposedly another version of the video that completely removes the giant beast.

We're introduced to a movie theater watching Godzilla in 3-D, complete with classic red/blue paper glasses. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, far more than if they were watching the real film, until Godzilla's feet bust through the screen unleashing a flood before he creates his own exit. From then on the theater continues to flood while cars and helicopters crash into it. In the midst of this chaos is front-man Jay Kay doing his usual nutty dancing. He walks along the backs of chairs, flops around atop crashed vehicles, and refuses to wear appropriately sized hats. Meanwhile regular folk are rushing to the exits. In a final twist this all turns out to be another movie being viewed by another theater.

Similar to Heroes this video is clearly expensive but little effort was made towards narrative. A disaster occurs only for some nutter to dance around. Even the space he dances in seems arbitrarily limited with him returning to the same chairs and cars again and again. It would have been much more interesting to follow him on an escape route. Even with such criticisms this is a step-up from viewing sad people with a thirst for milk.

Finally we come to the wildest installment of this collection Come With Me by Puff Daddy with backup from Jimmy Page. Supposedly this was the most successful of the three singles which I guess makes sense. Puff was rather popular at the time as he had yet to become a joke with a steady stream of changing names. And people seem to like Page for whatever reason. Even if you don't dig the music you can't deny the entertainment value of this big and stupid video.

It all begins strangely enough with Puff getting some loving while listening to the Isley Brothers. Maybe it's just me but you should never start your video by reminding people of better music. Turns out this is all just a dream when Puff awakens on his couch, fully dressed in black with crappy leather/vinyl pants mind you, to the sounds of chaos and Godzilla stomping about. Harry Shearer is on his TV as the reporter from the film and Puff approaches his window to see zilla face to face as the monster throws a bus into his apartment. Guess atomic reptiles don't dig 90s rap either. Puff decides to pose in the gaping hole in the wall and start rapping while fighter jets fly by and Jimmie Page footage plays in Times Square.

Eventually a jet explodes in front of Puffy throwing him backwards into a malfunctioning elevator that skyrockets upward as he continues the song. The elevator flies out the top of the building tossing Puff into the air when he, I shit you not, explodes into a flock of white doves. He reforms soon enough now fully dressed in a white suit and enters the slow part of the song as he free falls into Times Square and finally floats onto a lit stage complete with orchestra.

The final act of the video cuts back and forth between two topics. First is film footage of Godzilla rampaging through New York, offering full glimpses at the beast unlike the other videos. The other half is Puff attempting to dance while the song escalates with full orchestral backup. I must stress how bad Daddy's dance moves are. He's the guy you invite to a wedding reception to make everyone else feel better. His gesticulations give the impression he's suffering from some sort of neurological disorder. I know this all sounds mean but goddamn the man cannot dance. In the end his performance draws the attention of Godzilla and the two stare off while fireworks burst overhead (who sets off fireworks during a monster attack?) then Puff turns his back and walks away as the beast roars behind him.

While being almost totally removed from the subject matter of the film this song and video almost perfectly represent it. As noted earlier the Summer of 98 was a nutty time when hollywood seemingly used a dart board to make decisions. Notions like world-building or fandoms weren't part of the equation for tent-pole blockbusters so much as spending lots of money on loud nonesense and making sure Taco Bell had some toys to sell. Having a video this big and senseless perfectly illustrates the kind of film-making I'm talking about right down to having the musician walk away from the monster as if he's unimpressed. Such was the state of blockbusters at the time that Puff Daddy's own ego could outweigh a pop-cultural giant.

And thus closes one of the strangest pieces of zilla history. To look at how these films are treat now versus then is a total night to day shift. In the late 90s it was an absolute pain to see most Godzilla films, more so if you wanted to see the legit Japanese version. Our only solace was the promise of a big American production that turned out to be a lousy and generic big lizard flick. Now it's not that hard to get our hands on quality release of the movies and we've already had one decent U.S. Film with the second looking like a total knockout. In a way we have to thank that bloated late 90s version because it's hype and ensuing backlash were vital in altering the landscape so that we can now get franchise films that still come with a few product tie-ins but aren't totally watered down dreck. Let's raise a glass then to that disastrous production and the wacky, unnecessary music videos it spawned.

Ryusoulger Episodes 5-6

Japan has just had one hell of a major event with May 1^st marking the beginning of the Reiwa era. The notion is fairly meaningless for us westerners but I find the notion quite interesting. People love to reflect on the passage of time in years and decades, even seasons bring unique alterations to daily life, but the concept of a while new era with boundless potential for everyone, now that’s something special. Using that system to look at larger chunks of time actually puts the past and future into unique perspective in that things we didn’t accomplish previously have a whole new stage to play out on. With that in mind we take what we know works from the past and march forward.

In case you’re wondering why I’m waxing poetically about global time structures I assure you it relates to our current Sentai series. As Ryusoulger bridges the gap between two eras it uses a well-worn and successful theme, the brightly colored dinosaur ascetic, but is overseen by new talent that brings a different perspective to things. Honestly though I just felt like talking about this as it feels very timely (har har) for me with the completion of more college courses, major home projects, the one-month anniversary of a pet’s passing, and the renewed search for a job. It’s truly starting to feel like a new day but at least we have the stability of something like Sentai to keep us comforted.

Story:

Episodes five and six are tightly paired and focus on the continued blending of Towa and Bamba into the core team along with taking out the first major villain and establishing why Koh is fit to be the leader.

It begins with the team learning Kureon is the one capable of creating minosaurs from human emotions. This info is gathered by using the answer stone on Ui which allows her to remember her encounter and shed a tear over the trauma. Taking out the weird slimy monster before he can create more threats is now priority one. Towa isn’t around for this however as he’s spending time with a lady friend named Sanae who cares for animals that have been abandoned by people who would prefer pets as statues symbols than actual companions. Towa and Bamba dash away to fight Kureon but when they weren’t looking the little sneak made a fresh critter from Sanae, a giant wolf with a poisonous bite.

Soon enough Towa is bedridden with doggy poison while the rest of the team must deal with Tankjoh’s efforts to defend Kureon and the Minosaurs. Bamba is able to defeat the wolf while the others manage to take out Tankjoh despite his use of harvested Earthquake power. Everything should be better, only Towa and Sanae are still sick.

In the following episode the poison turns out to be spreadable as it moves on to the rest of the team. Those who still have enough energy to press on are tasked with finding a tissue sample from the beast in order to craft an anti-venom. Only issue is the monster is dead, right? Turns out multiple minosaurs can emerge from a single host meaning there is a second wolf out there. Koh and Melt go out to claim a sample, obtaining one through badass means when Koh lets the animal bite him so he can rip out a fang. During that battle, Bamba is back to his old ways of threatening sickly girls by preparing to kill Sanae. Both Towa and Asuna give some damn fine pep-talks despite their sickness regarding the value of preserving all lives and not giving up. A cure for the illness is fashioned by the former village elder who now runs a food truck and everyone gets back into the fight to take out the minosaur and Tankjoh who survived his last encounter. Using the full combination of all their dinoknights the teams destroys both opponents.

Characters:

While everyone grows a little during this two-part adventure, the main developments belong to Bamba and Koh. Regarding the former it seems he may have a sob story somewhere in his background. His dedication to his brother and eagerness to trade lives for the greater good seem to be in conflict. At the same time he has some vague, sorrowful reactions to his brothers speeches about personal connections and the tales the other three have of losing their masters. Something definitely happened to set this boy on the road of stab people first, ask questions later. I just hope he gets his shit together soon because the overall personality and presence of the actor make him one of the more interesting aspects of the show so long as he doesn’t waste any good will by being a dick for too long.

Koh has stepped up and shown what he can bring to the leadership role. Naturally he fits most of the regular criteria for a red ranger with his determination and willingness to do anything for a victory. What’s most important is how he tempers himself during the fights with Tankjoh. Initially he cares only about seeking vengeance for his dead master until he remembers a lesson and reaffirms his true mission. Strength doesn’t come from wanting to defeat an opponent but from defending loved ones. This moment makes Koh the embodiment of so much of this series core concept that he really has earned his role.

Villains:

With Tankjoh gone it would seem this show plans to move through a revolving door of villains. On the one hand this is a bit of a downer as there’s a strong likelihood of a parade of undeveloped threats. On the other hand most Sentai villains for the past few years have been poorly-written anyway so at least this method will offer some much needed variety. I can’t say much about Tankjoh however, not even sure how his powers worked. He just came and went. Kureon looks to be staying in the picture though I hope another baddie gains the ability to create monsters so the team isn’t always focused on this guy.

Action:

Not as much to report in the action department. The showrunners still seem to be searching for the proper balance of shiny gimmick based trickery and more traditional tokusatsu fighting. The robot scenes are still some of the best in franchise history with one detail I’ve neglected to comment on thus far. Ryusoulger is in the small club of shows where the heroes stand up while controlling their robot which results in them being tossed around during a battle rather than simply waiving their arms while firmly planted in a seat. I much prefer this method as it makes the fights more visually interesting.

Overall:

One bug I gotta get outta my butt involves the resolution around Sanae’s monster in regards to the heroes. We learn of Towa’s friendship with this girl when we see them taking care of a puppy who has yet to find a home. Sanae’s minosaur represents her anger at people who abandon and mistreat animals. So what becomes of the girl and puppy after all the monster are dealt with? Nothing, we don’t hear a thing about em. A key component of making these shows for kids is to teach them moral lessons about how to behave and care for the world around them. Introducing homeless dogs as an issue and then failing to ever speak of it again is seriously lame. I’ve seen this same thing in other sentai but it’s a bit more egregious here with the theme of our souls being connected. Not a single one of these dinosaur people can look after a dog?

Moral grandstanding aside I’m still enjoying the path this series is taking. There’s just enough novelty and depth to keep it interesting though I must admit I feel like it’s missing a certain something. At this point in the game there are plenty of opportunities to fix that with greater character development, maybe some better villains, or some long-form storytelling. Even the actors don’t seem completely comfortable just yet and that’s to be expected. I’ve seen many performers grow by leaps and bounds during these shows. I guess what I’m saying is this show still hasn’t made that pure declaration of what it’s going to be, a bombastic action series, more serious fantasy adventure, what have you. There are plenty of excellent ingredients here from a solid group of characters, an interesting threat, and good action. As it is they could carry on and potentially create a decent series but I’m eager to see if the new guard behind the scenes has the stones to make something truly special. For now I shall continue to watch.

That’s all for today, kiddies. Apologies for last weeks absence. Had a lot of projects around here including the first steps towards a new computer which will hopefully make future endeavors much easier. With classes over for a little while you should see more consistent updates and some more variety since I’m aiming to bring a few different features back to the site. Right now I must sleep. I’ve already made a few choice steps into the new era and tomorrow I can hopefully make a much-needed upgrade to this spot. Stay tuned.