Your Favorite Ranger of the Team (NO Red, Sixth, Mentor, and Extra)

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Kamen Rider IXA

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People make a big deal about her being called the heart (or the leader), but I never thought the show meant it in the usual way.
I think it did. Gekiranger makes a big deal of the whole triangle thing and everyone bringing in his/her own quality to it. It's just show never really bothered to do much with either Yellow or Blue.
But I do think Fukui is one of more one-note 00s Sentai actresses and that affects character more than writing. She definitely needed someone more natural and charismatic to play her like Aiko Ito or Ayumi Beppu.

What MAO does with the role beats what a drawing did, IMO.
I'd agree maybe, if Gokaiger was heavier on character development or pushing characters in general.

Kyoryu Black, womanizer turned into a responsible caring man
If only.
 
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Dr Kain

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No, I've never really liked it. As much as I have against the Power Rangers franchise, it's Time Force that I like.

Ah. I thought because you were asking for Time Force figures from Hasbro it was because you loved Timeranger.

I like both, but Timeranger is infinitely superior in my book. Dolnero is a far more compelling villain than Ransik as he feels like a Film Noir gangster character, the music, Domon's subplot, and no childish editing.
 
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The one thing I might say Time Force did better than Timeranger was the origin of the villains. Mutants who came together to form a criminal/terrorist group (a la Jiban) is more plausible than a mafia where everyone just happens to be an alien. No human ever joined Dolnero's family? (On the other hand, it'd have been funny if the Londars Family was used as a critique against Earth inviting anyone from space to live there.)

Another might be the Steelix episode. At least he had more dignity than his Time Force counterpart, Abel. (As far as I can remember, anyway)
 
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Dr Kain

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Steelix was better than Abel? I don't remember Steelix ever actually killing people like Abel did.
 
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One thing I don't think helps Dolnero is his design. I think his design makes him come across as goofy. In a way, the show undermines how dangerous the character can potentially be by making him look so cutesy and fly by the power of his farts. But I never really felt like he seemed head villain-like, either. The bulky design might suggest Brando, but he doesn't seem like The Godfather. He actually seems indifferent to a lot of what goes on around him. Throw in how useless Lira is and how Gien is off doing his own thing in the corner, and Timeranger often feels pretty villainless to me. (I like a big group of villains; Kobayashi likes that three villain set-up.)

Ransik's not perfect, and Vernon Wells' performance goes all over the place as the show goes on, but it helped having a face villain, and that he's supposed to be a bit gruesome. (I don't like the show's cowardly redemption of him, though.)

And I do prefer the Steelix episode, because it's more interesting that he was a dirty cop that Jen struggled to turn in versus his Timeranger counterpart just being an obsessed stalker of Yuuri's. Jen was more believable as a cop than Yuuri was, but her ratting on her partner further shaded in why she once said she was disillusioned with the job and about to quit being a cop until she met Alex. Abel might have been voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa, but I remember his suit actor making some really silly choices that ruined for me just what a crazy threat Abel was supposed to be.

And I have to say, I never really cared for the Domon-Honami thing, either. We already had the love story that was going to be ruined by the seperation of time with Red and Pink. But also, Honami's casting ruined the story of any strength, and the carelessness on Domon's part in leaving a kid behind raises a lot of problems, not least of which is that it's a bigger crime to the timeline than anything the Londarz did. (That said, I still managed to like his Gokaiger episode, dammit...)

AND, I know I'm in the minority on this one, but Timeranger's BGM always drove me up the wall. I just don't like Koichiro Kameyama's work. (Deka's BGM also gets on my nerves.) But Time Force's music wasn't any better. That was the point where PR's BGM was always really super-kiddy sounding. How do you go from those great, crazy, guitar-driven early soundtracks to crap that sounds like it should be in Bobby's World?

And now Shougo senses he'll be yelled at for going off-topic.
 
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Dr Kain

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Abel was a former cop though in Timeranger...

Also can't believe you said the music sucks. The soundtrack is one of the best Sentai soundtracks of the franchise. Hell, the opening theme is the best opening theme ever. It's like something you might hear from Castlevania.
 
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One thing I don't think helps Dolnero is his design. I think his design makes him come across as goofy. In a way, the show undermines how dangerous the character can potentially be by making him look so cutesy and fly by the power of his farts. But I never really felt like he seemed head villain-like, either. The bulky design might suggest Brando, but he doesn't seem like The Godfather. He actually seems indifferent to a lot of what goes on around him. Throw in how useless Lira is and how Gien is off doing his own thing in the corner, and Timeranger often feels pretty villainless to me. (I like a big group of villains; Kobayashi likes that three villain set-up.)

When you just take the costume on its own, or judge based on Gluto in Time Force, it can seem that way. But the voice acting for Dolnero sells the character well, plus he does have a human disguise anyway. As for his method of flight, I wonder if, given his marine animal motif, he just has a gas-filled swim bladder that he uses to float. They never used the typical stupid olfactory gags with him.

And I do prefer the Steelix episode, because it's more interesting that he was a dirty cop that Jen struggled to turn in versus his Timeranger counterpart just being an obsessed stalker of Yuuri's. Jen was more believable as a cop than Yuuri was, but her ratting on her partner further shaded in why she once said she was disillusioned with the job and about to quit being a cop until she met Alex. Abel might have been voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa, but I remember his suit actor making some really silly choices that ruined for me just what a crazy threat Abel was supposed to be.

The Abel episode (he was a cop too) would have been ok if they had cut out the stalking backstory, it just makes Abel appear a loser rather than dangerous. Maybe if the episode had been about Abel turning to crime because of disillusionment/corruption, and tried to turn Yuri, who has her own issues with unsolved crimes and escaped criminals, into an assassin like him, it would've come off better.

And I have to say, I never really cared for the Domon-Honami thing, either. We already had the love story that was going to be ruined by the seperation of time with Red and Pink. But also, Honami's casting ruined the story of any strength, and the carelessness on Domon's part in leaving a kid behind raises a lot of problems, not least of which is that it's a bigger crime to the timeline than anything the Londarz did. (That said, I still managed to like his Gokaiger episode, dammit...)

I hate Domon-Honami too, especially for the "surprise kid" reveal. Shacking up for one night is not very heroic. I'd like to think they had a rushed wedding off-screen, but that still doesn't help much. Also, Honami herself is an annoying character. Kobayashi did it better with Gouki-Suzuko in Gingaman, at least that had charm and was endearing. Although, ironically, while I like Tatsuya-Yuri better, Domon-Honami did have more build up.

I also appreciate that Gokaiger tried to sanitize the situation by making it out as though Domon is a parent who lives away from home for work purposes, but I still wish they had scrapped the whole thing, or at least break them up on good terms in the finale. (Then you could still have their Gokaiger reunion, just make the son someone else's, as in Honami got married and settled down, she and Domon are happy for each other, yadda yadda)

AND, I know I'm in the minority on this one, but Timeranger's BGM always drove me up the wall. I just don't like Koichiro Kameyama's work. (Deka's BGM also gets on my nerves.)

Don't worry, I'm in the minority for saying Abaranger is a snoozefest. ;)

I too consider Timeranger's BGM one of Sentai's best. I've gone back to listening to it since I just finished my rewatch. Watching Lupinranger vs. Patranger made me miss Timeranger all the more.
 
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Abel was a former cop though in Timeranger...

Also can't believe you said the music sucks. The soundtrack is one of the best Sentai soundtracks of the franchise. Hell, the opening theme is the best opening theme ever. It's like something you might hear from Castlevania.

I knew Abel was a cop, it's just that...Timeranger never really cared about its cop theme the way Time Force did, so it never felt like it mattered. Furthermore, Mika Katsumura is in no way convincing as a cop. I like her, but she's really miscast.

But I want to set the record straight in that I LOVE Timeranger's OP theme. It's the BGM of the show I dislike.

As for his method of flight, I wonder if, given his marine animal motif, he just has a gas-filled swim bladder that he uses to float.

Hmm. That's possible. But the show still plays it off as a goofy fart for the kids, I think. And it happens in the very first episode! That's just a bad intro for your head villain. I'll agree that voice actor Ryuzaburo Ootomo does a better job than the design calls for, but his work's still ruined by the design. (And he barely used his human form. I think it was, what, two episodes?) I kinda blame Ootomo for giving Dolnero that indifferent, bored tone, though.

Don't worry, I'm in the minority for saying Abaranger is a snoozefest. ;)

I've seen Abaranger called a lot of negative things, but I think you're the first one to say it's boring.

I too consider Timeranger's BGM one of Sentai's best. I've gone back to listening to it since I just finished my rewatch. Watching Lupinranger vs. Patranger made me miss Timeranger all the more.

I will say that, even though I don't like it, Timeranger's BGM is at least distinct. I feel like Sentai BGMs have basically all been the same since Boukenger, and it's so hard to tell any of them apart that Toei might as well be using generic public domain stuff.
 
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Timeranger never really cared about its cop theme the way Time Force did, so it never felt like it mattered.

Considering how many times they conduct stakeouts, undercover investiations, and other such police work throughout the show, that's a bit hard to believe.

Sure, Dekaranger or Patranger have the full police theme all over them, but they're in their full element operating with complete government authority, whereas the Timerangers for all intents and purposes are vigilantes.
 
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Dr Kain

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Plus, in Timeranger, they weren't specifically working with the future police force as they were tricked into going back in time. Hell, they weren't even supposed to survive the first giant fight. Ryuuya supported them on his own whim without the rest of the force knowing.

In Time Force, I believe they went back in time under orders of their goverment to capture the mutants and were always working with them.
 
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