Ressha Sentai ToQger, Final Station: The Shining Ones

[Undrave]

I like how Zett looks really happy when he finally sees the shine again.


The fight......well, they didn't explain how did the Build Ressha suddenly becomes usable with the ToQ-Changer, but considering the President scene, it may have been due to the power of imagination, which also explain ToQ-1 Rainbow.
I see (or imagine, lol) the line-switching, which looks useless at first glance, as Right loading up his friends' imaginations into his ToQ-Changer, and finally adding his own imagination via the Hyper Ressha, which results in ToQ-1 Rainbow.


The ending however, is incredibly strange with no possible explanation whatsoever. They never explained or even hinted how did the family's imagination helped them recognize and accept their children as adults, and then that scene is made completely pointless when the ToQgers somehow reverts back into child again anyway.
I do much prefer if they gets turned back into children. But not in a very strange way like this.

And the final scene at the secret base - are they imagining their adult selves + Akira & the trains, or what?

What if the scene where they meet their parents as adult is actually all in their mind? And the adults don't actually see them like that but just as kids that went missing during the festival the night before?

As for the final scene, I wouldn't read too much into it, I think it was just an excuse to get both sets of actors to interact.

 

[Loghorn]

Well, that was a nice final episode. Good way to finally bring imagination back into the story (it seems as if the show had completely forgotten about its own motif for several episodes, opting instead for a simple light vs. dark motif), although it's rather fitting that the series ends with the ToQgers never really beating anyone.

And that's my main problem with the show. It has the same problems that Maskman and Gekiranger had, a core team that's so uninteresting that the series chooses to focus all of its character development and story arcs on the villains instead, leaving us with heroes who kinda just go through the motions. Thankfully, the villains were well written so I can't write this show off as "bad". But it just marks the third straight year where I just haven't felt anything aside from boredom (Go-Busters) or anger (Kyoryuger) while watching Super Sentai. The theme of this show never really felt fleshed out, and the fights were usually underwhelming (a matter not helped by the pretty awful mechas and suits, outside of the Shadow Line). Things picked up in the last few episodes, but it's too little too late for me to able to really recommend it.

I have my hopes up for Ninninjer since it seems to be trying some different things (albeit with a motif that's been done twice before), but if that show ends up being mediocre as well then I may just give up on this franchise for becoming stagnant.

I agree. I tried so hard to get back into Tokkyuger, & just couldn't. I wound up dropping it after about episode 33. Same way that I dropped Kamen Rider Wizard first back in the early 30's, went back again for another few episodes, then winded up dropping it completely.

Hoping that Ninninger spices things up. Plus Go-Busters was also terrible, but Kyoryuger wasn't bad, IMO (though I didn't see the final episode, but from what I have heard, it was also terrible).

What he means is that she is not going to have another success like Shinkenger, so they need to stop using her. Her writing is stale and she has already done every trope imaginable. She needs a five year rest so she can get her creative juices flowing as she hasn't done a truly good Sentai series since Gingaman.

Or Timeranger, which she has also done (another fantastic series, by the way).

 

[shadowinthevoid]

The ending fight was underwhelming compared to others but fitted well with the series as a whole. I think it's hard to compare ToQger other sentai series because it was a lot more subtle plot elements. It's surprised me that nobody else has mentioned that Right was dead the whole series.
For a little perspective for those that missed it........
Right died and peoples sorry from his death drew out the Shadow Line in the first place.
His friends "Imagination" brought Right back and also caught Zeds attention.
then towards the end Right remembers his death and his sorrow and anger give him his Darkness form.
Believing that because he's already dead he has no future he leaves his friends behind to fight Zed but loses because he can no longer imagine victory.
He's friends return and between their imagination and the town's wish's (imagination) to become break through the darkness and Right starts to "shine" again as he regains hope.
Zed absorbs his allies to boost his darkness to match Right's light but Right still has his friends and uses their power to become Rainbow and defeat's Zed.
Zed is saved by Grita because she know the light can only shine when there is darkness.
The rest of the ToQgers head home and because their family's still see them as kids they turn back
Right thinks he's still dead but then he's family see's him all their hope (imagination) brings him back for real

And ask for the end scene with kid and grown up ToQgers, because the kids can still remember and imagine their olders selves they can always become them again if they need to (ie VS Ninninger)

Between all that, Zeds creepy singing and conflicted personalty and everything Akira this series is a work of genius

 

[MagiShineDX]

The ending fight was underwhelming compared to others but fitted well with the series as a whole. I think it's hard to compare ToQger other sentai series because it was a lot more subtle plot elements. It's surprised me that nobody else has mentioned that Right was dead the whole series.
For a little perspective for those that missed it........
Right died and peoples sorry from his death drew out the Shadow Line in the first place.
His friends "Imagination" brought Right back and also caught Zeds attention.
then towards the end Right remembers his death and his sorrow and anger give him his Darkness form.
Believing that because he's already dead he has no future he leaves his friends behind to fight Zed but loses because he can no longer imagine victory.
He's friends return and between their imagination and the town's wish's (imagination) to become break through the darkness and Right starts to "shine" again as he regains hope.
Zed absorbs his allies to boost his darkness to match Right's light but Right still has his friends and uses their power to become Rainbow and defeat's Zed.
Zed is saved by Grita because she know the light can only shine when there is darkness.
The rest of the ToQgers head home and because their family's still see them as kids they turn back
Right thinks he's still dead but then he's family see's him all their hope (imagination) brings him back for real

And ask for the end scene with kid and grown up ToQgers, because the kids can still remember and imagine their olders selves they can always become them again if they need to (ie VS Ninninger)

Between all that, Zeds creepy singing and conflicted personalty and everything Akira this series is a work of genius

Not really sure why you would think that Right was dead but that is clearly not the case.

The Shadow Line came about because they wanted to cover the world in darkness and with Emperor Zett nearing his full power, they were in a fairly good position to begin their plans to do so. Right was not dead at all, he was able to become an adult because of accidentally being influenced by Zett's darkness after trying to escape Subarugahama as kids, whereas the rest of the kids were influenced by the power of Imagination and the Rainbow Line.

The darkness Right had all came from being influenced by Zett's darkness and being exposed to even more darkness throughout the course of the series, just as Zett's fascination with the light came from accidentally being influenced by Right's shine at the beginning and the shine from the Star Festival lanterns.

The Toqgers were able to escape the darkness near the end mostly due to Right's mom making an extra lantern with a star on it for the Star Festival because she felt like she was missing someone. That lantern, combined with the rest of lanterns is what set off the chain reaction from the light that created the light tracks that saved them.

The parents were able to remember their children and help them turn back into children is mostly due to the letters that the Toqgers sent them during the New Years episode. That combined with the defeat and withdrawal of the Shadow Line and the freeing of Subarugahama helped increase the parents imagination also.

And lastly, Right over exerting himself trying to fight the Shadow Line all alone and then the destruction of the Castle Terminal and then Zett's final loss combined with all of the other positive events that happened is what helped Right break free of the darkness that was surrounding him.

There was no indication, whether it be subtle or not subtle that Right was dead at any point in the series, just forgotten because of the town being engulfed in darkness. The Conductor once said that they were "As good as dead." but that does not directly indicate anything, just that they were pretty much forgotten since their hometown was swallowed up by darkness and frozen in time by the Shadow Line.

 

[SamuraiEchidna]

I KNOW! I KNOW! I am SUPER behind. Sorry. It's just, with a job, and sickness, and so much to deal with...

Last week, I finally caught up and watched the rest of ToQger. The ending was... Not bad. Kind a buzz kill, not defeating Zed at the end like that. But I guess I understand what they are going for. Gonna save up for the ToQ VS Ninnin special. I highly doubt that will give us the closure we wanted, but who knows. Anything could happen.

Overall, I kind of liked this series. At it's worse, it's just a standard Super Sentai story. A by-the-numbers kind of tale. I still think it had more charm then that and it deserves more credit than people give it, but it was pretty awesome. I could easily see myself watching this side by side with one of the darker, old school Sentai titles. The highlights of the show were more toward the first half, but the plot is what keeps you on board. With Right almost losing his friends, home town, and everything he holds dear; and then with his friends willing to make the same kind of sacrifices; it's definitely one of those darker-when-you-think-about-it kind of plots. But it still keeps everything balanced just right, and it knows when to be bright and cheery, just like a Super Sentai show should be.

Also, since I doubt many people will read this, I think Ninninjer will be my next and last Super Sentai for a long time.
I need to back away from Tokusatsu for a while so I can fix some things in my life. I think I've been part of this fandom long enough to know my way around. I can identify when a show is worth my time or not. I can identify, somewhat based on what fans are saying, when something is worth investigating. But after that, it's time to stop caring so much about every little show that comes around.
Super Sentai and Kamen Rider will probably continue long after all of us are dead. Sometimes you gotta realize what's more important in life.