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This week on "Keeping Up with the Super Sentai"...

Welcome to the discussion thread for the TV mini-series "Super Sentai Saikyou Battle!!".
(Series' title translation may vary depending on your fansub group of choice.)
This thread is being made because it's only going to be 4 episodes long. Hardly enough of a reason to make discussion topics for each individual episode.

This thread was made with Toku Prime's permission. And remember, this is a SPOILER ZONE! If you are trying to avoid spoilers, this is not the place for you.​
 
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Okay! Here we go. (Get ready, people. I have a huge wall of text to share)

Episode 1:
Gotta say, this was way better than I thought it was going to be! Can't believe there was some pre-determined negativity towards this.

My one complaint was that red ranger collage before the opening theme. The way the camera kept rapidly zooming out to show the next red ranger after the next was both painful to my eyes and gave me a little bit of motion sickness. If I had just picked one thing to focus on, either the subs or the visuals, I would have been fine. But trying to focus on both was painful...

After that, I can't compliment the premise of this show enough! I know everyone loves those "Who'd win in a fight" scenarios, but this it the first time I can enjoy one as an adult. Usually, those kind of stories are taken so seriously to the point where heroes are either fighting to the death or putting everything they have on the line. I don't like those set ups because no one really wins in the end; fans of both sides are forced to pick one, people that should be comrades end up ruining their friendships, and the real villains end up getting away because the heroes were distracted with in-fighting.
BUT HERE...!
The heroes, specifically Patran #1 and Zyuoh Eagle, recognize that this is NOT a fight to the death or anything. It's just a friendly sparring session to see who is the strongest. No negative consequences! The fans don't have to pick a side, the heroes aren't splitting apart, and any potential villains are not being ignored. Granted, the show can undercut this with heroes having a sit-down and talking things out instead. But sometimes that can be more satisfying than the tired trope of "Argh! I'm angry and I'm gonna fight you, even though this is all a misunderstanding that could easily be avoided!".

The Rita here is definitely not a Repulsa. If anything, she's an extreme opposite. Makes me wonder what her contingency plan is for Gaisorg or if that's just going to be part of a bait-and-switch reveal. Besides the two red I mentioned above, I like how the various Sentai heroes can just talk about things mid-battle and trust the winners to do what's right. This is what I'd expect them to do if the various Super Sentai through the ages have all met in some capacity and acknowledged each other as equal heroes. I know it's still up for debate whether or not all of Super Sentai exists in a shared universe or not, but if they do, stuff like this supports it. And I like how this special is making a prologue for Ryusoulger. They didn't have to do that, but they did, so that's gonna be cool.

Last but not least, I find it interesting that Over-Time has translated "GoGo Sentai" as "Rumbling Sentai". I can't help but wonder if they agreed that was the best way to translate it, or if they were just being a little lazy and went with the quickest/easiest translation option. Wouldn't be the first time they did something like that.
 
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The premise of this show is weak, but I like the idea of a show that has various Sentai members teaming up. I'd be more excited if this was the new show rather than having Kyoryuger 3 ~Zyuranger Remix~.

Too much Zyuoh Eagle, though. Man. I think he's too damn boring to focus so much on.

I'm hoping there's some surprises in the final two episodes, that not EVERYTHING has been leaked.
 
D

Dr Kain

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I haven't even been paying attention to this at all. I figured if I'm going to watch it, it will be after all 4 episodes are out but even then I'm not sure I care enough.
 
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raden238

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Episode 1 Review:
The premise is nothing special but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this! Loved the cameos of Bouken Sliver and Go-on Red. The Oddball team is great. I can already feel the bond among the members. But I wished Captain Marvelous had top billing instead of Yamato. The overall plot is driven by the Gokai Red and Galsourg feud anyway. So why focus on Zyuoh Eagle? The theme song is great too.


Episode 2 Review:

Great episode, they toned down Takaharu's annoying personality and screaming. Seems like the writers learned their lesson after that disastrous Ninninger series. I enjoyed the twist at the end and once again another cool cameo from a Legend Ranger. Gao Red was great in this even though, fans might not be happy to see him job out to Zyuoh Eagle. The wish that Yamato wanted was really sad and was not what I expected. Also cool to see Marvelous busting out the Gokai Changes. Always a treat to see those keys! Great episode that really gets you rooting for our protagonists.
 
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Kamen Rider IXA

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Weak premise or not, this thing already blows every single SS crossover since at least Gokaiger vs Gavan out of water, simply by the virtue of not being bad or boring. Pretty much all of Kamen Rider crossovers as well (not that it's much of an achievement but stil).
I just wish Toei would stop shoving dozens of pointless suits into everything already. I'd rather see this team go against some of the previous villians rather than another Taisen-like tournament.

Too much Zyuoh Eagle, though. Man. I think he's too damn boring to focus so much on.
So why focus on Zyuoh Eagle?
Is focus on Yamato such a big issue? Zyuohger didn't have a VS movie with Kyuranger (which would have sucked probably, but still), so he deserves focus more than any of the recent Reds.
It's not like he has focus for the sake of focus either. His wish is simple but pretty moving, his fighting scene in Episode 2 was great and I can't imagine Hiromu, King, Raito, Lucky, Takaharu, Keichiro, Kairi or even Marvelous pulling big emotional hot-blooded but still sweet Red moment like this. Not to mention he gets Kakeru's seal of approval, what else do you need?
Another note is how Keichiro instantly surrenders after hearing Yamato's wish. No out of character bullshit, just K being K. Already miss that guy.
 
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Is focus on Yamato such a big issue? Zyuohger didn't have a VS movie with Kyuranger (which would have sucked probably, but still), so he deserves focus more than any of the recent Reds.

That's a good point about maybe making up for Zyuohger not getting to come back for a Versus movie.

And while he's the Red of Sentai's 40th anniversary, I DO find the focus on him puzzling, because it's not like Zyuohger was well liked. (And Zyuoh's producer isn't working on this 4-ep special, so it's not a case of an egocentric producer.) Of the five returning people the press focused on (team oddball), he's definitely gotten most attention. If he was the only Red there, that would be one thing.
 
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I kinda see why they made Yamato the central figure. Out of the core five of this story, he's the one who acted as a peacemaker for his own team and kept them united. So it makes sense that he forms the center of this team too.

Also, that moment in episode two where the Zyuohger theme hit was pretty cool.

I'm also very glad that they seemed to have realized that screaming Takaharu was about as welcome as an STD and have turned the volume down. The actor seems a lot more at home with the more toned down version of the character too, though I guess that could just be the intervening years of further acting experience.

On the flip-side, Marvelous felt a little out of character for much of these first two episodes. I'm not sure why, as revenge was was always at least partially the motivation for the Gokaigers, but I guess so was caring about his crew (for example, their summer movie where he used up the wish-granting treasure they were after to save the others).
 
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Yamato just doesn't have a personality or presence. He's a total blank, but I guess that helps the writers do whatever they want with him.

It would have been nice if Toei just had the guts to have Noboru Kaneko at the center of the show. If one of the reasons this miniseries exists is to celebrate Heisei Super Sentai, then...well, Gaoranger's one of the most popular Heisei shows, Kaneko one of the most popular Red actors.

Kaneko's at a point in his career where he can do something like this more easily, and Toei owes him, too. (Or that's my theory, anyway -- I've always suspected he was meant to be the Red rounding up the Dream Team in Boukenger VS Super Sentai, but they couldn't schedule it. Well, why else is Tsuetsue in the movie, then?)

And maybe the oddball team could use a shaman like Kakeru, considering who they're facing in the next (and final) episode! You could also have easily given him the "wanted to help a boy who loved animals" storyline.
 
K

Kamen Rider IXA

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But if Yamato is bland (to which I diasgree btw, but whatever), doesn't it make sense to give HIM stories like that, so that character can have a bit more meat on him?

Or that's my theory, anyway -- I've always suspected he was meant to be the Red rounding up the Dream Team in Boukenger VS Super Sentai, but they couldn't schedule it. Well, why else is Tsuetsue in the movie, then?
Yeah, I though it was pretty obvious as well.
 
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