K

Kamen Rider IXA

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No, he means samurai theme, not musical theme. Very little of the show felt like a story about samurai.
Exactly.
Replace "Samurai" with "Ninja Clan" and you wouldn't have to change much of the plot. It kinda similar to Kiva in that way.
 
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No, he means samurai theme, not musical theme. Very little of the show felt like a story about samurai.

Did we watch the same show? I don't see how you could have missed their use of the motif. As previously mentioned, the samurai/warlord motif permeated almost every aspect of the series. Honestly, it's the last time I've seen a Super Sentai go all in on its motif with the exception of Kyoryuger. All of the rest since have not quite embraced their themes as much as I would want or would expect.

As for the topic: Jetman. By faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar. I liked Shinkenger alright, but Jetman is superb.
 
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Dr Kain

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The only time there was truly anything samurai in the show was the Kagemusha plotline.
 
K

Kamen Rider IXA

Guest
Did we watch the same show? I don't see how you could have missed their use of the motif. As previously mentioned, the samurai/warlord motif permeated almost every aspect of the series. Honestly, it's the last time I've seen a Super Sentai go all in on its motif with the exception of Kyoryuger.
For eighteen generations, noble knights of the Sibran House (descends of the Knights of the Round Table) have suppressed the evil intentions of the Heretics, malevolent spirits that enter the world of the living from gaps between buildings and other structures. Now, Taylor Sibran, the youngest head of the Sibran House must gather his four vassals in order to battle the Heretics under the revived Doukoku Chimatsuri as the Knightrangers. However, as they are joined by his childhood friend Jaylan Gedney, the vassals slowly learn that there's a reason for Taylor's behavior that sets him apart from his predecessors.

I basically just changed all "Samurai" into "Knight". This is your knight-themed Sentai.

If you need a Sentai, that makes actual use of its theme, watch Dekaranger or Dairanger.
 
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For eighteen generations, noble knights of the Sibran House (descends of the Knights of the Round Table) have suppressed the evil intentions of the Heretics, malevolent spirits that enter the world of the living from gaps between buildings and other structures. Now, Taylor Sibran, the youngest head of the Sibran House must gather his four vassals in order to battle the Heretics under the revived Doukoku Chimatsuri as the Knightrangers. However, as they are joined by his childhood friend Jaylan Gedney, the vassals slowly learn that there's a reason for Taylor's behavior that sets him apart from his predecessors.

I basically just changed all "Samurai" into "Knight". This is your knight-themed Sentai.

If you need a Sentai, that makes actual use of its theme, watch Dekaranger or Dairanger.

Except knights don't ride palanquins. They don't do calligraphy. They don't have hobbies like ikebana or origami or kabuki. Knight have nothing to do with written seals. When knights fight each other, they are prominently shown either jousting, or sword-to-sword fighting on the ground, not being surrounded by enemies and stepping slowly in one direction. Knights are not known for their Kagemusha storylines or Shirahadori, or having "castles" with rooms hidden behind paper doors. When knights are in grave error, they don't offer to do harakiri or meditate under a waterfall.

And most of all, if I watch Shinkenger there is absolutely nothing that will remind me of knights.

The only explanation I can get is that you guys actually haven't seen any samurai films. Sure, it didn't exactly work out like a samurai film did, but to say that the theme was only 10% in there and give free pass to Dairanger for example is bollocks.

Gekiranger and Dairanger was actually way worse in the use of their themes. Not that they were bad, but the use of their themes stopped at the superficial level.
 
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Full disclosure, I have yet to finish Jetman or Shinkenger but I can speak to what has appealed to me so far in watching them

I think a big problem for in comparing Jetman and Shinkenger is the differences in priority and budget. Theres a scene very early in Jetman where Gai and the pink ranger(who is wheelchair bound for that episode) are stuck in the railing of a train, which is hurtling towards them. I remember thinking how odd it was that they were struggling to overcome this obstacle when all they had to do was transform and fly away. It occurred to me later that this show was much more focused on emphasizing the vulnerability of the Jetman team, that other than their powers they are just ordinary people and thus vulnerable to all the same problems and conflicts that face normal people, a concept really driven home by the ending scene.

Shinkenger, being a modern Sentai, not shown on prime time anymore and being kept alive purely by merchandising, keeps its sentai teams transformed as often as possible it seems. That being said, I feel Shinkenger did a better job than usual of coming up with details that kept me engaged with the "new toy of the week" plot. Many other shows might just send Shinkenblue out to retrieve the swordfish on his own and show his dedication to his lord, but by adding the twist of the other fisherman, the former servant of the old Shiba head sitting on his shoulder encouraging him to quit, it engaged me. It led me to imagine details and ask questions I might not have asked about the setting in other sentais. What manner of person was the old head of the Shiba clan? What did he do that caused this guy to quit and resent them so much that he can't stand to see a man remain loyal? It caused me to see the Kuroko as more than just nameless servants. That, for me at least, is what has enthralled me so much about Shinkenger. They give you just enough charaterization and details to help your imagination run, and thats something other sentai series just haven't inspired in me.
 
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Given how much pink there was in her suit, she could be as well have been "Pink Swan" xD ; it's not like Tsuruhime for example (Ninjawhite) who had no pink in her suit or even Sayaka/Changephoenix and Sae/Gaowhite, who only had very little pink in theirs; besides, white is the common color seen in all Jetman suits, other than the named colors.

On the subject, "which is better, Jetman or Shinkenger"?, I feel that it's like comparing apples to oranges, given how different sentai was written during the era Shinkenger was written than the era when Jetman was written. Both are good shows, but I don't think they so much stand out compared to many other sentai : Soda has written brilliant shows as well, as Sugimura did, and the sentai era between Carranger and Timeranger has probably some of the most well done sentai shows ever written, and I feel that the two 2000' shows written by Arakawa (Abaranger and Dekaranger) also are very well done. Trying to tell "which is the best" is very difficult, since all of them have great qualities, of course, some flaws as well, but each of them has a different personality and shines in its way. I feel that what's great about sentai is how a same franchise, with a common basic concept and basic storyline (colored heroes fighting evil) is able to bring together such different stories, which can bring such different feelings.
 
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Jetman was my first Sentai.
One thing Shinkenger doesn't have is emotion. Jetman had memorable characters. But Jetman wasn't always too memorable in all of the Characters (heh, Blue Swallow). Takeru wasn't that great. Always mopey. I don't want to watch a show about multicolored samurai that pilot mechs to become an example of why I should buy depression meds.
Plus you know it's awesome when in the final battle the finisher is from the original Mech, with one arm cut off.
Jetman all the way.
 
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