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- Sep 30, 2011
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The title says it all, pretty much. A lot of us have seen a lot of Toku, and some of it is good and some is bad. But, every cloud has that silver lining. So, come in and rap about it.
If you're, like, a toku mega-vet, don't hit us with a million word post. Be choosy. All we really need is a couple of sentences about why the episode was good. Whether it was the fight, or the jokes, or the guest star. Whatever. Just give us more than a "duh smiley face" or a "this should be obvious". You should also keep it to series you have finished at least halfway, just because you never know. I'd like to do Liveman, but I'm only on episode 19, sooo....I'll start.
Jetman-Episode 42 "Sleep on my Chest". This episode is probably the saddest toku episode I have ever seen. It's just dark. Jetman had a lot of high emotion episodes, but this one took the cake. And it just had a throwaway one shot character, too. It's about the villains, first and foremost, and this was an era before the villains really were as important as the heroes. So, not only is it about G2 and it's demise, but it's about Grey and Maria, dealing with their feelings about each other and their situation. If your stomach doesn't just plummet at the end, you may have to go find yourself a new soul or something.
Zyuranger- Episode 1- "The Birth". Such potential! There's just so much going on in this episode. It really wants to be that episode that sets the tone for everything that comes after it. When Bandora lands her castle right in the middle of Tokyo, after capturing a space shuttle, you just know that things are about to get wild. The Zyurangers themselves just kind of pop up out of nowhere and they look so bizarre, that you just can't help but be sucked in. Too bad the rest of the series is a letdown, because that opening is just chock full of amazing and crazy stuff.
Dairanger- Episode 15- "3 Stooges Soccer". Yeah, yeah, I know. A comedy episode. I've often referred to Jetman, Zyuranger, and Dairanger as the insanity trilogy, because pretty much anything goes in these series. Lots of things make little sense a lot of the time. This episode is prime insanity. So, Ryo has to play soccer against three Gorma to save his sister who is trapped in a balloon. The look Daigo gives after he creates the illusion is just priceless. I seriously went back and watched it like five times. This episode is genuinely funny and crazy.
Magiranger- Episode 38- "A Promise to Big Brother". An episode with the Magirangers getting murdered one by one?!? Sign me up! No, but really, this episode was probably the most genuinely dramatic out of all the Magiranger episodes. It didn't feel forced at all, and you could really see Tsubasa struggle with his responsibility to live up to Makito. There was also a real sense of terror in Cyclops. He was a much more enjoyable villain than the other Gods. Just a good character episode all around.
Dekaranger- Episode 13- "High Noon Dogfight". This episode has everything about Sentai encapsulated in thirty minutes. Dekamaster just showing up and being really fucking cool is all that this episode is, but it still works. From the counter, to the bullet deflection. It's all awesome. Such a simple episode, but such fun.
Gekiranger- Episode 20- "Gicho-Gicho! Triangle Opposition Match!". Basically, up until this point, most of this series has been tracking the Gekiranger's growth as martial artists. However, the spectre of the Kenma and Rio loomed large over them. This would have been a typical power up episode, but it revolved around the Gekirangers finding their weaknesses and overcoming them. Like, you know, actual martial artists and stuff. You could actually see them try, fail, and then learn the error of their ways. It says a lot about the Gekirangers as characters, especially Retsu and Ran, who often get overlooked for Jan and Rio. It has that patented Gekiranger goofiness, of course, but if you don't feel inspired when Retsu kicks Gazelle guy and takes the bandana, then I just don't know. A lot more enjoyable and relatable than your typical mid-season power-up episode.
Shinkenger- All of them. The end.
No, seriously. The real answer is Episode 47 "Bonds". I could have easily put in a bunch of good episodes, but I chose this one. It's the end of the Takeru/Juzo dynamic, and it serves as a great capper for the villain. Seriously, I totally flipped my **** when Uramasa stabbed Juzo in the foot. That's just thematic as all hell. Not only was that fight amazing, but this also serves as a fantastic Chiaki and Ryuunoske episode and it shows the lengths the Shinkengers have gone together and how much they've been through. Probably one of my top favorite toku episodes ever.
Gokaiger- Episode 14 "Now for Traffic Safety". A lot of you have seen my rant about Gokaiger. But, I have to admit that, despite it's failures, Gokaiger had an excellent episode with the Carranger tribute. It was probably the best tribute episode period. It perfectly captured the tone of Carranger and it harkened back to the days of Sentai insanity that I love so much.
Kabuto- Episode 8 "The Bee's Insanity!". Yeah, it's the The Bee episode. The first twenty episodes are on par with anything HBO has put out, in my opinion. They're all great and intriguing episodes, with loads of drama and good fights. Probably the best ones had to have been with Yamuguruma as The Bee. The sunset fight with Kabuto. Slowly losing his grip. His final freak out. "You have lost your way". Just an amazing arc and this episode is the topper. We really got a lot out of the rise and fall of a character in less than a few episodes. It's also a good Tendou episode, because we finally see him challenged. Just really excellent writing.
W-All of them. Oh, wait, I did that joke already.
The real answer is probably Episode 18- "Farewell N/Friend with the Wind". Yes, the Kirihito episode. ITS SO GOOD AAAAAA. Kirihito goes from failing stooge to sympathetic putz in less than two full episodes. And it's completely believable, too. His death really kicks the story up a notch, too. It shows Saeko's depravity, Shotaro's sense of honor and yet another piece of the Fuuto mosaic. Almost assuredly the best Rider episode right here.
OOO- Episode 30- "The King, the Panda, and the Blazing Memory". Dr. Maki is a villain. Through and through. This is his episode and it develops him about as nicely as any episode has ever developed someone. We've seen him early on be heartless and conniving, but once we discover his backstory, we figure out just how depraved he is. When he walks away with Kazari and Lost Ankh at the end, you really get a sense about how opposed they are to Eiji and Ankh. He didn't deliver as much as I would like, but hey. He started off as an amazing character
Fourze- Episode 17 "Meteor Arrival". At current, the best part of Fourze is Meteor. He's such an interesting character and his suit design is just fantastic. When he shows up, he instantly clashes with Fourze, and their chemistry is making the show right now. Also, his henshin is amazing.
Maybe I should have followed my own advice...
If you're, like, a toku mega-vet, don't hit us with a million word post. Be choosy. All we really need is a couple of sentences about why the episode was good. Whether it was the fight, or the jokes, or the guest star. Whatever. Just give us more than a "duh smiley face" or a "this should be obvious". You should also keep it to series you have finished at least halfway, just because you never know. I'd like to do Liveman, but I'm only on episode 19, sooo....I'll start.
Jetman-Episode 42 "Sleep on my Chest". This episode is probably the saddest toku episode I have ever seen. It's just dark. Jetman had a lot of high emotion episodes, but this one took the cake. And it just had a throwaway one shot character, too. It's about the villains, first and foremost, and this was an era before the villains really were as important as the heroes. So, not only is it about G2 and it's demise, but it's about Grey and Maria, dealing with their feelings about each other and their situation. If your stomach doesn't just plummet at the end, you may have to go find yourself a new soul or something.
Zyuranger- Episode 1- "The Birth". Such potential! There's just so much going on in this episode. It really wants to be that episode that sets the tone for everything that comes after it. When Bandora lands her castle right in the middle of Tokyo, after capturing a space shuttle, you just know that things are about to get wild. The Zyurangers themselves just kind of pop up out of nowhere and they look so bizarre, that you just can't help but be sucked in. Too bad the rest of the series is a letdown, because that opening is just chock full of amazing and crazy stuff.
Dairanger- Episode 15- "3 Stooges Soccer". Yeah, yeah, I know. A comedy episode. I've often referred to Jetman, Zyuranger, and Dairanger as the insanity trilogy, because pretty much anything goes in these series. Lots of things make little sense a lot of the time. This episode is prime insanity. So, Ryo has to play soccer against three Gorma to save his sister who is trapped in a balloon. The look Daigo gives after he creates the illusion is just priceless. I seriously went back and watched it like five times. This episode is genuinely funny and crazy.
Magiranger- Episode 38- "A Promise to Big Brother". An episode with the Magirangers getting murdered one by one?!? Sign me up! No, but really, this episode was probably the most genuinely dramatic out of all the Magiranger episodes. It didn't feel forced at all, and you could really see Tsubasa struggle with his responsibility to live up to Makito. There was also a real sense of terror in Cyclops. He was a much more enjoyable villain than the other Gods. Just a good character episode all around.
Dekaranger- Episode 13- "High Noon Dogfight". This episode has everything about Sentai encapsulated in thirty minutes. Dekamaster just showing up and being really fucking cool is all that this episode is, but it still works. From the counter, to the bullet deflection. It's all awesome. Such a simple episode, but such fun.
Gekiranger- Episode 20- "Gicho-Gicho! Triangle Opposition Match!". Basically, up until this point, most of this series has been tracking the Gekiranger's growth as martial artists. However, the spectre of the Kenma and Rio loomed large over them. This would have been a typical power up episode, but it revolved around the Gekirangers finding their weaknesses and overcoming them. Like, you know, actual martial artists and stuff. You could actually see them try, fail, and then learn the error of their ways. It says a lot about the Gekirangers as characters, especially Retsu and Ran, who often get overlooked for Jan and Rio. It has that patented Gekiranger goofiness, of course, but if you don't feel inspired when Retsu kicks Gazelle guy and takes the bandana, then I just don't know. A lot more enjoyable and relatable than your typical mid-season power-up episode.
Shinkenger- All of them. The end.
No, seriously. The real answer is Episode 47 "Bonds". I could have easily put in a bunch of good episodes, but I chose this one. It's the end of the Takeru/Juzo dynamic, and it serves as a great capper for the villain. Seriously, I totally flipped my **** when Uramasa stabbed Juzo in the foot. That's just thematic as all hell. Not only was that fight amazing, but this also serves as a fantastic Chiaki and Ryuunoske episode and it shows the lengths the Shinkengers have gone together and how much they've been through. Probably one of my top favorite toku episodes ever.
Gokaiger- Episode 14 "Now for Traffic Safety". A lot of you have seen my rant about Gokaiger. But, I have to admit that, despite it's failures, Gokaiger had an excellent episode with the Carranger tribute. It was probably the best tribute episode period. It perfectly captured the tone of Carranger and it harkened back to the days of Sentai insanity that I love so much.
Kabuto- Episode 8 "The Bee's Insanity!". Yeah, it's the The Bee episode. The first twenty episodes are on par with anything HBO has put out, in my opinion. They're all great and intriguing episodes, with loads of drama and good fights. Probably the best ones had to have been with Yamuguruma as The Bee. The sunset fight with Kabuto. Slowly losing his grip. His final freak out. "You have lost your way". Just an amazing arc and this episode is the topper. We really got a lot out of the rise and fall of a character in less than a few episodes. It's also a good Tendou episode, because we finally see him challenged. Just really excellent writing.
W-All of them. Oh, wait, I did that joke already.
The real answer is probably Episode 18- "Farewell N/Friend with the Wind". Yes, the Kirihito episode. ITS SO GOOD AAAAAA. Kirihito goes from failing stooge to sympathetic putz in less than two full episodes. And it's completely believable, too. His death really kicks the story up a notch, too. It shows Saeko's depravity, Shotaro's sense of honor and yet another piece of the Fuuto mosaic. Almost assuredly the best Rider episode right here.
OOO- Episode 30- "The King, the Panda, and the Blazing Memory". Dr. Maki is a villain. Through and through. This is his episode and it develops him about as nicely as any episode has ever developed someone. We've seen him early on be heartless and conniving, but once we discover his backstory, we figure out just how depraved he is. When he walks away with Kazari and Lost Ankh at the end, you really get a sense about how opposed they are to Eiji and Ankh. He didn't deliver as much as I would like, but hey. He started off as an amazing character
Fourze- Episode 17 "Meteor Arrival". At current, the best part of Fourze is Meteor. He's such an interesting character and his suit design is just fantastic. When he shows up, he instantly clashes with Fourze, and their chemistry is making the show right now. Also, his henshin is amazing.
Maybe I should have followed my own advice...
