Can I Wax Adoringly About Gekiranger for a Moment?
I know I've said this before, but I need to say it again.
Gekiranger is an awesome show. It's just... awesome. V1 and I have been re-watching it, and I'm just overwhelmed by the amount of love I have for this show even when neither of my OTP's make so much as an appearance. And I want to talk about those reasons.
Gekiranger is an evenly spaced show. It doesn't fall into the trap of becoming the Red show starring Red in a way that so many other series do. It's about the team, and each member of the team gets more than occasional focus episodes to prove this. Ran's the captain, not Jan. And when they're fighting for Kageki? Jan screws it up. Ran has to fix it, and it's Retsu who manages the winning blow. While I know in the end, the show boils down to Jan and Rio, that doesn't change the importance of other characters, down to Bae, whom I used to think was a pointless plot device. The team is important, and no one's focus eps make me cringe (until Chopper shows up).
Gekiranger develops its villains. It is, as far as I know, the only sentai to ever develop its villains. Not only did they smartly cast an Araki in fur to play the villain, but they give him plot lines that are just as (sometimes moreso) important than the hero's. Go-onger got the closest with Yogostein and Hiramekimedes, but it dropped that plotline and then we lost Yogostein way too quickly, so it lost. Rio's not evil in the "Booga booga, I will take over the world!" sort of way that most sentai villains are (can't say I ever felt anything for Agent Abrera as much as I love Deka). Rio's just better than everyone else. And he wants to be better than himself. And he'll do whatever it takes because there isn't any "Evil" or "Good" really on this show. There's power and what you do with it. And he's using his for awesome. And shiny hair.
For the heroes too, this show is about training. I like to see heroes who work for the power, not just have it handed to them.
I feel really strongly for all the characters on this show (maybe the kensei are an exception, but even among them I want to give Sharkie Chan a big hug...). Even when it's dislike, it's powerful dislike. I loathe Long. I loathe him like some people loathe Nazis. He just showed up in our grand re-watch and the second he comes on screen and is too close to Mele, I shriek with hatred. Because he shouldn't touch her! I am protective of Mele! That's how well Geki has done it's job among its villains.
Geki neither under nor overdoes the service. It gives me episodes where I can just sit and cuddle with my OTP's, and then it takes it away so I have to watch and pay attention and plot subtext. This is how I watch these shows.
Miki. Rocks.
And can I just say that the amount of subtext flying in episodes 24-25 is the best thing ever?! Cuz it is.
Serious love, Gekiranger. I'm sorry Go-on couldn't fill your shoes. I have ... very little hope for Shinkenger because it's a sibling drama and those aren't my thing generally. 2007 was just the best year in Tokusatsu ever, and I don't think that'll change any time in the neear future.
Pork Cube Stew.
Bandit out
Oh and look! I got a Winter Egg!
And this is Retsu and Ibuki's child... it may be the girliest dragon ever, but it'll still mess you up.
Gekiranger is an awesome show. It's just... awesome. V1 and I have been re-watching it, and I'm just overwhelmed by the amount of love I have for this show even when neither of my OTP's make so much as an appearance. And I want to talk about those reasons.
Gekiranger is an evenly spaced show. It doesn't fall into the trap of becoming the Red show starring Red in a way that so many other series do. It's about the team, and each member of the team gets more than occasional focus episodes to prove this. Ran's the captain, not Jan. And when they're fighting for Kageki? Jan screws it up. Ran has to fix it, and it's Retsu who manages the winning blow. While I know in the end, the show boils down to Jan and Rio, that doesn't change the importance of other characters, down to Bae, whom I used to think was a pointless plot device. The team is important, and no one's focus eps make me cringe (until Chopper shows up).
Gekiranger develops its villains. It is, as far as I know, the only sentai to ever develop its villains. Not only did they smartly cast an Araki in fur to play the villain, but they give him plot lines that are just as (sometimes moreso) important than the hero's. Go-onger got the closest with Yogostein and Hiramekimedes, but it dropped that plotline and then we lost Yogostein way too quickly, so it lost. Rio's not evil in the "Booga booga, I will take over the world!" sort of way that most sentai villains are (can't say I ever felt anything for Agent Abrera as much as I love Deka). Rio's just better than everyone else. And he wants to be better than himself. And he'll do whatever it takes because there isn't any "Evil" or "Good" really on this show. There's power and what you do with it. And he's using his for awesome. And shiny hair.
For the heroes too, this show is about training. I like to see heroes who work for the power, not just have it handed to them.
I feel really strongly for all the characters on this show (maybe the kensei are an exception, but even among them I want to give Sharkie Chan a big hug...). Even when it's dislike, it's powerful dislike. I loathe Long. I loathe him like some people loathe Nazis. He just showed up in our grand re-watch and the second he comes on screen and is too close to Mele, I shriek with hatred. Because he shouldn't touch her! I am protective of Mele! That's how well Geki has done it's job among its villains.
Geki neither under nor overdoes the service. It gives me episodes where I can just sit and cuddle with my OTP's, and then it takes it away so I have to watch and pay attention and plot subtext. This is how I watch these shows.
Miki. Rocks.
And can I just say that the amount of subtext flying in episodes 24-25 is the best thing ever?! Cuz it is.
Serious love, Gekiranger. I'm sorry Go-on couldn't fill your shoes. I have ... very little hope for Shinkenger because it's a sibling drama and those aren't my thing generally. 2007 was just the best year in Tokusatsu ever, and I don't think that'll change any time in the neear future.
Pork Cube Stew.
Bandit out
Oh and look! I got a Winter Egg!
And this is Retsu and Ibuki's child... it may be the girliest dragon ever, but it'll still mess you up.