Ryusoulger Episodes 1-2

Though there has been a longer than normal gap between updates I swear I have not forgotten you dear readership. In fact I have been busy as the proverbial bee which was topped-off by one infuriating situation. Long-time readers know I like to provide links for pieces produced for other sites. One such article was posted last week and I refuse to guide any traffic that way as it was notably changed without my consent. As you might imagine that situation along with school and a sinus infection has absorbed most of my energy. With different fronts doing their damnedest to suck the fun out of life it’s vital to have good entertainment to seek comfort in. That brings us to our core topic for today, the premier of Ryusoulger. More accurately we’re talking about the first two episodes. During the recap for Strongest Battle I realized a one episode rate wasn’t sustainable so the new plan is to tackle this series in duos. Come along and see if this new show can ease the pain of a stuffed nasal cavity.

Story:

During the dinosaur age there were two tribes that lived on Earth. One was the Druidon tribe constituting of monstrous creatures who fled the planet when a meteor strike kick started the ice age. The other group was the Ryusou tribe, humans who lived alongside powerful dinosaurs called Dinoknights who powers were housed in various temples.

Today the Ryusou tribe lives in secret with a few skilled warriors who receive powers from their nearby trample. Three new guardians are being groomed to replace their masters when the Druidon tribe returns with plans to reclaim this world as their own. Key to their plot is the using negative human emotions to create Minosaurs, dangerous monsters perfectly suited for a weekly show.

The druidon cut off the Ryusou tribe from their temple and kill the current guardians whose soul power attaches to their students allowing them to fight on. Now these three must venture forth to find other temples, more companions, all while defending their home and Earth itself.

The trio is not along however as an odd girl with an archaeologist father is witness to these developments and brings her new friends home. As of the end of episode two her life is in danger with Druidons choosing her as the incubator of their next monstrosity.

Characters:

Thus far we have yet to meet the full cast which is honestly a blessing as it leaves breathing room for the current set of heroes to showcase what makes them unique.

Koh, our red ranger, is on the more inquisitive and energetic side of the red hero spectrum. Thankfully he isn’t nearly as annoying as the likes of Takaharu or Lucky. Instead he seems more like a caffeinated version of Zyuohger’s Yamato in that he comes across as kind and caring only with a dose of over zealousness.

Melt, The blue boy, is meant to serve as the collected and intelligent member of the crew. In these opening adventures he proves to be quicker than his companions while leaving hints of a more selfish and silly personality that he attempts to keep buried.

Asuna, our Pink ranger, is the strongman of the party. She clearly wishes to be more feminine and appreciated for those qualities as she seems embarrassed by her colossal power. Personality wise she strikes a healthy balance between her more hot and cold friends.

Ui, the silly sidekick, makes for an interesting addition to the core cast. She’s obviously lonely and given to flights of fancy which leads to a very silly outer persona. She’s quite different than the usual Sentai girl and I’d appreciate it if she got a chance at joining the team properly one day, though I highly doubt that will happen outside of a specialty video.

Villains:

Only two key villains have been introduced so far with a visual hint of many more to come. Tankjo is the typical strong and stern type who is thankfully voiced by Joji Nakata who has a long legacy of Sentai villainy and has a voice like pure silk. Loved this guy’s work since Escaflowne so it’s always great to have him around. Serving under him is Kureon, a cute but sadistic critter responsible for the creation of Minosaurs.

On the subject of Minosaurs they have a couple of unique features that could serve the series quite well. First is that whole negative emotion angle which lends a certain Quantum Leap/Touched by an Angel vibe to the series since our heroes must find and deal with the issues of normal people. This all ties into a theme of interconnected souls such as the source of their power being their dead masters. It also gives each monster a methodology that must be solved such as a creature that wants to kill the top fencer in Japan so it’s source can be the best. The second topic of note is that the longer a Minsaur exists the more powerful it gets before eventually growing to giant size. So far there has been zero giant resurrection as these beasts simply suck more life-force from their victims and end up large.

Action:

Right off the bat the fight scenes so far are a more flashy and relent on toys and gadgets than I’d prefer though they’re not totally without merit. The core concept is that each heroes sword can accept little Ryusouls that grant powers like stretching or firing off stink clouds. Thankfully there is still enough regular fighting that it keeps these gimmicks to sequences like the one where our team fights a Minsaur without the aid of giant robots.

When the giant robots are involved is when things got surprising. The robot portion of this franchise has always been at the bottom of my priority list but what’s on display here is outstanding, easily the best robo fights since Ninninger and actually eclipsing that work. Reviled to know I can watch these scenes without having my mind totally wander off.

Overall:

As of this moment Ryusoulger is not a great show but it is a solid one. There’s still plenty of depth to be found within the concept and lord knows how the additional characters might benefit or detract from the overall narrative. So far the series strikes an odd balance between more childish elements like the return of the end-credit dance or Ui’s Dora the Explorer styled antics with dark aspects like three deaths in the first episode. Experience has led me to believe this sort of middle-of-the-road beginning has a lot of promise for what we might see in the future. We’ve seen shows like Zyuohger that start sluggish only to become very solid in the end. We’ve also witness series like Lupinranger vs. Patranger that blow their creative energy in the first half and struggle to recover. By forming a solid base without overextending themselves this could form a great show. Especially if the toy gimmick provides enough sales that the writers can work freely towards their end goal rather than changing tactics every few months.

And so we’re off on another Super Sentai adventure. So glad you all come to join in in these articles. It’s a relief to know I have an audience, no matter how quiet they may be, that doesn’t seek to stomp all over opinions and censer thought. Now if you’ll allow it I must write a stern e-mail, a large editorial, and expel about half-a-pound of snot from my skull.

Super Sentai Strongest Battle Episodes 3-4

Given the title of this post shows that I'm recapping two episodes at once I suppose it's time for everyone to collect their bets. Much as I would have liked to keep the one episode at a time pace for sentai recaps life has shown that's simply unrealistic. Between regular posts, school, contributions, and what not I wouldn't be able to keep that pace without cutting every other topic and none of us want that. However I will be keeping the new format going forward as I think it works quite nicely. And I will occasionally do solo episode posts for major stuff like premiers, finales, and some classic highlights. Right now we have the second half of Sentai Strongest Battle to wrap up. Will it go out with a bang or leave us scratching our heads in confusion? Let's find out.

Story:

When we last left off, Takaharu had been revealed under the mask of Gaisorg which leads our heroes to guess that the big purple knight must be some sort of sentient object. The damn thing ditches the red Ninninger and nabs Stinger in his place who is eventually freed by the others. Marvelous then wears the helmet in order to find his captive friends. Why this thing kept people captive after they proved not to be the strongest makes zero sense but oh well.

Going back to Stinger, along with the help of Dekamaster, he finds further evidence that something is afoot on planet nemesis and that they are unable to call for help or summon robots. Both him and the big blue doggy were sent to this contest undercover to figure out what is going on. During Stinger's time under Gaisorg's control, Dekamaster attempts to decode some date for him only to be forced into fighting Kaguya who finally gets to do something as she reveals her dreams of a restaurant that brings families together.

Also of note; the two Ryusoulger who've been wandering a cave system finally get invited to the contest. That's honestly about everything of major importance from episode 3.

Once all that preamble is out of the way the real threat becomes clear. While planet Nemesis is a legit place to battle for your dreams it turns out that Rita, who I mistakenly called Rika last time, wishes to resurrect Ultimate Great Satan in order to destroy the universe. She uses the gathered pieces of stone to do just that. As you might imagine a great deal of the finale is team weirdo's efforts to destroy this grand evil without the aid of big robots. Instead they use a variety of tacky power-ups to accomplish the job which leaves them in no shape to deal with Rita once she suits up in the Gaisorg armor.

Out of nowhere the green and black Ryusoulgers finally arrive and defeat Rika, effectively winning the contest dispute not having done anything of value thus far. Takaharu gives a small piece of stone to Yamato in the hopes it might help that sick/dead kid which we never get closure on. As everyone says their goodbyes somebody runs off with Gaisorg's helmet and a young man, I think the red Ryusoulger, obtains an object of power from the cave the others had been traipsing through.

Characters:

The trio of Yamato, Takaharu, and Marvelous don't get quite as much attention in this latter-half so Kagura and Stinger can finally do something. In her case she has a fairly dull fight with Dekamaster only to reveal her underwhelming dream and get her butt beat by Gaisorg within seconds. Stinger at least gets to bond slightly with the other characters and does his best to save Rita from the path of self-destruction via some very dramatic speaches.

Cameos also start to dry up as fewer rangers are around to participate in this challenge. Dekamaster, whatever his real name is, was sort of a bore. Luka gets a bum deal spending a significant portion of her small screen time sweaty and chained up which is the sort of thing I expect from this director. At least she gets to reclaim her dignity and destroy the signal jammer keeping the team from reaching outside help. Honestly I don't want to bag on a mini-series for not having amazing personal moments but this show clearly didn't know what to do with even this small wealth of characters.

Villains:

Gaisorg still makes little to no sense. He's written off as a sentient weapon from a lost civilization and almost cast off until Rita wears him in the final battle. There's nothing to showcase how this might play into the forthcoming series other than somebody running off with the helmet. Maybe something worthwhile will be made of him soon but as of this moment I'm not holding out hope.

Speaking of Rita and her plan to resurrect Great Satan... well I had blanked on the idea of there being some potential call back to Zyuranger. I suppose it makes sense since that was the first dinosaur themed sentai and we're about to have a third but it's important to remember that outside of serving as the base for Power Rangers that series was pretty terrible and not the sort of thing to use for a franchise-wide special-event. Plus using the name Rita as a reference make little sense since Bandora summed Great Satan while her Americanized counterpart Rita summed Lokar or some shit like that.

Aside from ranting about semantics I'll admit Rita made for a unique change of pace from most recent villains. Her backstory of growing up in a lawless cruel place where notions like justice and heroism didn't exist fueling her desire to destroy the entire universe made all the difference. Sure it's a very dramatic reaction to a lousy upbringing but actually having a motive is so much better than the vast share of Sentai baddies who are evil just for the hell of it. That's the mentality of Great Satan who stands around and growls cause he's evil.

Action:

One might think for a small show that lacks characterization there would be plenty of reason to make up for it with action. Sadly nothing in this second half of the series matches up to the one against three bout from episode 2. Kagura's big fight with Dekamaster was fairly lame as were the multiple small fights against generic goons. Then there's the big battle against Satan which consists of lots of pointless explosions with little in the way of choreography.

That same kind of pointless fighting continues with the introduction of the Ryusoulger’s as their battle is essentially an advertisement for what they’ll have to offer once their show properly begins. It wasn’t fun or entertaining and definitely wasn’t helped by the guys showing up to steal the glory after everyone else saved the universe. Most likely their actual show will have decent enough writing and direction so as to avoid such pitfalls in the future.

Review:

Going back to our first review of this mini shows that little has changed during its four week existence. While it may not be the worst Sentai around there isn’t a ton to recommend. From the strange choice of characters to lacking action and a story that wrapped up without any meaningful impact. Even when compared directly against other small-scale Sentai projects this comes up short as there was more entertainment value in Dino Force Brave which was made by the same director as Strongest Battle.

The idea of making a special series to say goodbye to the Heisei period was sound but man did this ever feel rushed and cheap. Making a tribute to a series with concepts like teamwork and giant robots only to largely ignore those ideas makes no sense. Having fights on an alien planet take place in abandoned warehouses, parking lots, and rock quarries stinks of having a low-budget as does the list of blink and you’ll miss it in-costume cameos from past actors. There was so much in the way of good intentions here all for naught. Worst of all it nearly damages the upcoming show by shoehorning those characters in as rude show-offs. As far as any sort of rating or ranking at least this was better than Kyuranger.

Soon enough we’ll see of Ryusoulger can revitalize Sentai. I’m eager to see what the new production staff can do with the seemingly stale and safe dinosaur theme. Most of all I want to see a show that can start solid and keep that pace going without any weird slumps or arbitrary pauses. Won’t be long until we have a hint of what’s in store. Keep those fingers crossed kiddies.

Hammer Frankenstein Series Review Part 1

Having spent every Saturday night for more than a decade viewing horror movies has a certain level of challenge and reward. Always finding new and fresh entertainment while fitting in old favorites can be a difficult balancing act. What I’ve found helpful over the years is mixing things up every so often with theme nights or going through entire series at the pace of about once a month. Most recently I’ve used this option to comb through the classic Hammer horror series of which my experience was often incomplete or disjointed. Since we honestly don’t talk about spooky stories enough around here I thought it might be fun to talk a bit about some classics and maybe provide some guides for those who've yet to experience them. What better place to start than with Hammer Studios Frankenstein series.

It’s probably safe to say that for most people the name Frankenstein conjures up images of the monster, usually Karloff. Honestly that’s not a bad frame of reference as the old Universal series is a solid line-up of films but the sheer variety of takes on this story is staggering with versions so far out as to include time-travel, blacksplotation, and Mr. Magoo. Even then most variations stay focused on the monster. The Hammer series however is based entirely around the doctor as he travels Europe conducting ever more fiendish experiments to perfect his work. That being said this is a far different doctor than usual as there is little in the way of redeeming characteristics to his personality. Sure there’s an occasional pang of regret or sadness here and there but he’s largely a murderous, self-centered, misogynistic wretch and Peter Cushing plays the anti-hero role perfectly as he tries to deepen human understanding with questionable methods.

The other notable aspect to this series is that it’s hard to get people to agree on the exact number of movies. The studio’s sixth stab at the franchise, The Horror of Frankenstein was a more comedic remake of the original story without Cushing. Most people ignore it and move straight on to the seventh and final film which returned to the antics of our favorite doctor. For the sake of my viewings I’m sticking solely to the six Cushing entries. That’s enough background information for now. Let’s get on with the show.

The Curse of Frankenstein

This is where it all started. While Hammer had been in the film business for quite some time and had even touched on the horror genre with efforts like the Quatermass series The Curse of Frankenstein is the moment when so many different talents came together to create the entire vibe of successful British horror. Not only did this kickstart Hammer’s legacy of horror films but it brought the world the pairing of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee while inadvertently forming a competitive studio named Amicus. As you might imagine that historical significance plays into a lot of the reputation for this film which can lead some people to oversell it. Don’t let an abundance of hype influence you however as while this may not be the greatest example of U.K. terror it is still a fine piece of cinema.

Functioning as a fairly straightforward adaptation of the original Frankenstein novel means Curse hits a lot of familiar beats. We watch as Victor Frankenstein grows up, educates himself, courts ladies, and begins to stitch corpses together. None of this is all that new except for the attitude this version of the character brings with him. This guy doesn’t send a hunchback out to fetch a brain, he straight up murders people to get the exact brain he desires. If one of his mistresses gets out of hand, he’ll simply introduce her to the monster. I don’t mean that in a sexual way. Poor girl already met that monster.

Speaking of the creature, Christopher Lee’s take on the role is a bit different than the mopey beast we usually see, acting instead as something closer to a meandering zombie. The make-up follows suit with loose gray skin and hints of blood around the stiches. It’s not the actors best performance but he’s still a proper mixture of threatening and pathetic.

One aspect that has stood the test of time is the wonderful atmosphere Even this early in the game Hammer knew how to craft a comfortable spooky setting for their productions. There’s such a perfect blend of autumnal colors, harsh weather, baffling science equipment, and old-world wealth that creates a world not unlike a comfy blanket. It’s the perfect sort of film to watch when you want to feel like a kid.

Overall the film lacks much in the way of surprises and most of the scares have faded over time. What holds everything together and keeps this in the upper rankings of Frankenstein cinema is how well it presents itself with that fine atmosphere and a great leading man.

The Revenge of Frankenstein

Second installments are always an interesting commodity as companies either try to perfectly replicate the formula of the previous entry or go in a whole new direction. Revenge is closer to the later almost entirely ditching any attempt at being frightening resulting in more of a sci-fi drama.

In this tale Victor is believed to be dead by the world which doesn’t realize he managed to escape the guillotine. He now lives in another city practicing medicine under the name Dr. Stein. I can only assume that his plan revolves around no one thinking he’s dumb enough to use a shortened name as a disguise. One young doctor sees through this farce and wants to further his education by aiding Frankenstein's newest experiment. The duo is aided by a hobbled man named Karl.

The nature of the new experiment goes a large way towards separating this entry from similar fare. Instead of just bringing a collection of dead flesh to life the doctors plan to create a passable looking being and placing the brain of the willing Karl within this new being so he might escape his deformed body. After the operation there's a struggle between Karl who wishes to recover and lead a new life and the doctors who want to put him on display. Throw in a young woman, further deformities, and violent mobs & you've got one weird sequel.

Revenge is very much an odd duck within the series. Lacking the mood of the first. The craziness of the fourth, or outright cruelty of the last. this one instead finds a place via a strange storyline and a nifty ending. Sadly those unique aspects are largely ignored by the rest of the franchise due to an immediate retcon during the third film. There are some problems here, especially in the pacing department but it remains one of the most unique Franky flicks I've ever encountered.

The Evil of Frankenstein

If you ever ask someone to recap this one for you expect them to spend an inordinate amount of time scratching their head as they struggle to recall anything of note. Much like Hammer's third Dracula film this one is a bit empty. The most notable aspects of it are that Universal played a hand in production and the film puts a lot of legwork into reworking the events of the preceding movies, totally glossing over Revenge in the process.

So what happens during this installment anyway? Frankenstein is down on his luck amd along with his assistant he returns home to find it vandalized. After spending some time reigniting feuds with the townies that chased him away a mute girl leads him to his first monster who is frozen in a block of ice. The doctor revives the creature only to find its mind is shattered causing him to enlist the aid of a mentalist who takes control of the beast for his own ends. That's about it.

Though I've yet to see the fifth entry I have little trouble declaring Evil to be the weakest piece of the series. Failing to live up to the atmospheric pleasure of the first or the interesting story of the second with a monster that's just dumb looking leaves little to recommend save for one important thing. Peter Cushing is still the man and his take on Victor has only grown better throughout the series. By this point he's incredibly smug when dealing with lesser people and it's a joy to behold. Just a shame he doesn't have much to do here as the film meanders along before settling on the hypnotism plot and then rushes the ending for no discernible reason. Some might place the blame on this being the only installment not directed by Terence Fisher or the influence of Universal forcing change where it wasn't needed. Whatever the case there is still some entertainment value to be found here, just nowhere near enough to match up to the others.

And there you have it, a beginners guide to the first three entries in this classic series. Within the next couple of months I'll cover the second trio of films one of which I know is the best outing. In the meantime I may give this same treatment to some other series, perhaps even the Hammer Dracula franchise. Gotta wrap this up for now though. Something about the slow shift towards spring weather has made me very sleepy and I've no intention of passing out and drooling all over this laptop. Ciao.

Super Sentai Strongest Battle: Episode 2

Defying all expectations I'm back with another Sentai recap in our new one-episode format. Don't get me wrong I nearly feel out of the whole process what with this past being week being a whirl of school projects but here I am and with just the fainest recollection of how to write about anything other than counseling techniques, media studies, and APA formatting. Come along as we chat about colorful heroes and I'll try not to slip in some empirical data chart.

Story:

Picking up from the previous cliffhanger we find Stinger and Takaharu facing off against Gaisorg with Marvelous eventually butting in. The three get their butts kicked with Marv receiving an additional lecture from Yamato who's still quite testy about something. That's when news arrives that Gaisorg is officially part of this competition, guy even has a golden ticket.

The group begins to separate and do their own stuff. Stinger investigates the facilities of planet Nemesis and finds surveillance and guide books about Sentai heroes which hints at some larger conspiracy. Marv storms off which causes Takahau and Kagura to seek him out for a pep talk. This leaves Yamato as the only person available when the next fight arrives pitting him against a trio of rival heroes. During this battle we finally learn what his big wish is if he can win this contest. At some point after we last saw the character he befriended a sick young boy with a love for animals. Yamato had promised to take the boy out to the wilderness to see animals for real until the kid either died or become significantly sicker, it's sort of vague. Now he fights to save that kid, a passion that fuels him to win this fight and receive words of advice from Gaored.

Slowly the team starts to reconvene with Yamato making peace with Marvelous. Stinger is still out snooping and Takaharu didn't make it back to base as he was seemingly confronted by Gaisorg. Speaking of the big purple guy, he breaks up another fight only to be met by Marvelous once again who manages to knock off his helment and find Takaharu underneath.

Characters:

As for cameos this week the big one is Gaored who has a nice speech about red rangers fighting with passion. Otherwise most of the extra characters were suit-actors with voice over which allowed one of my favorite franchise heroines to appear with Kakuranger's own Tsuruhime who sadly showed up just to get thrown around by Gaisorg. A few others had some fight scenes like Dekamaster but nothing major.

Honestly it was nice to see a greater degree of interaction and personality from members of our main team. Possibly the best scene was Yamato silencing Takaharu with some rage, wish somebody had done that during Ninninger. Kagura unfortunately has still had nothing to do but be the team medic so far. Not only is this incredibly lame but it doesn't track with the director's past output as any misogyny on his part is often more exploitative in nature. Oh and I can't forget that the black and green Ryusoulgers are still strolling around a cave gathering trinkets, so that's still a thing.

The Villains:

Giasorg's still the only known baddie around and we still know nothing about him/her/it. I'm guessing the Takaharu reveal is something like Gaisorg being a suit that takes over bodies or some such nonsense.

Action:

Much improved action this week with a little less reliance on cheap wire-work and more impact to the punches and kicks. The highlight easily goes to Yamato's one-against-three bout where he changes between eagle, gorilla, and whale modes to deliver a massive ass whoopin'.

I've seen complaints online about two missing components in this series. One is how we have teams that never fight in larger groups than three. For god's sake we still have one person who hasn't even transformed so far. Beyond that there has been absolutely zero giant robot action. Honestly I don't mind that part so much as the robots are my least cared for aspect of this franchise but when you consider this is a special-event series the absence is a bit strange.

Review:

While a good improvement over the first outing this show still has little to show for itself other than being a novelty. As I said last week though it's a bit easier to forgive something that's going to be gone so soon as we only have two episodes left to view, which at the point of this writing means just over a week before it's over. It's still nice to see Yamato back in action, wish I could say the same for Kagura, and the watching the team come-together is preferable to seeing them stand in corners like wallflowers at a high-school party.

Oh man is it ever nice to write about something nice and silly after a week of APA had me dodging contractions like a damn robot. I'll be back in a few days with either our next recap or something different. Yes, we are going to have some different topics this year as I've got things lined up about board games, music, and classic horror so stay tuned.

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.