Toku ever too depressing/dark for you?

[GoseiGold]

Dryer Jigen was one of, if not the best episodes of a sentai, ever. I could watch an entire series of Dryer Jigen's adventures, trying to live a hair-dryer monster's life in a world run by "the man", who just doesn't get him.

Wasn't the dryer Jigen ep the same one where one of the grunts rubbed Ako-Chan's butt and she bitch-slapped him? cause oh my god i laughed so hard i fell out of my chair and hit my head on the floor and nearly busted the back of my head open :laugh:

 

[areaseven]

Ohranger and Changeman wasn't that dark in my opinion too. With Changeman it's mostly because the villains is the one who was suffering because of Bazoo, I just don't feel much sympathy for Ahames or Booba. Ohranger, well never really get the "dark" feeling about it.

On the other hand, you forget about the hundreds of troops that got killed by the Hidrer Soldiers in episode 1 due to Commander Ibuki's incompetence - and we're supposed to feel sympathy for him?

I haven't seen a single episode of Ohranger, but I've read that the first few episodes were too dark for kids to be interested. The sarin gas attacks in Tokyo made the situation even worse, so the producers decided to take the campy route.

 

[Fantasy Leader]

On the other hand, you forget about the hundreds of troops that got killed by the Hidrer Soldiers in episode 1 due to Commander Ibuki's incompetence - and we're supposed to feel sympathy for him?

I haven't seen a single episode of Ohranger, but I've read that the first few episodes were too dark for kids to be interested. The sarin gas attacks in Tokyo made the situation even worse, so the producers decided to take the campy route.

No, those troops were killed cause the Hidrer soldiers came after them. Ibuki didn't do anything to cause that. And that's how a lot of 80s sentai start out. The villains do really horrid things that make their conflict with the heroes personal.

Changeman overall, isn't a super dark depressing series. Yes, there are dark elements to it, but not on the same level as Jetman or Timeranger. Honestly, I think Changeman is more on the serious side, rather than dark.

As for Ohranger, I'd say it's the same as Changeman and many of the 80s sentai. It's a bit more on the serious side. But not all out dark and depressing. Plus, Ohranger, starting with ep 13, does start having it's own handful of comedic eps.

So honestly, I can't really see a fan saying that they'd get turned off from Changeman and Ohranger for being dark and depressing.

 

[Smilodon]

I didn't find TimeRanger too depressing and dark at all. I thought that when Yuuri and co. went back into the past and Naoto dying, it goes with the theme of the show that...

Life goes on. No matter what, you can't stop time. It's infinite.

555 was really sad and depressing, but I enjoyed it so no problem there. I thought the ending of Ryuki was depressing. Like, really bad.

 

[Fantasy Leader]

I didn't find TimeRanger too depressing and dark at all. I thought that when Yuuri and co. went back into the past and Naoto dying, it goes with the theme of the show that...

Life goes on. No matter what, you can't stop time. It's infinite.

555 was really sad and depressing, but I enjoyed it so no problem there. I thought the ending of Ryuki was depressing. Like, really bad.

555 is definitely on a whole another level of dark/depressing compared to Timeranger and Jetman. :laugh:

 

[Smilodon]

Yuka's death was so incredibly sad. Like, it tugs at your heart. If there is one thing Inoue did well in Faiz, he humanized the Orphenochs an made us sympathize with them. Not to mention characters like Sawada and Kiba, they really were something else.

 

[Scissors]

I agree. While Faiz may have been a huge mess with more plot holes than you could count, it DID work as a emotional roller coaster.
Some said that Yuka's story was depressing, but over the top. I really don't see that. I have known many boys and girls who have shared the same fate as Yuka did. Getting beat up at home and in school, being in the shadow of their older brother/sister etc. It is not uncommon, especially not in Eastern Asia.
We are always presented to Japanese families as the most perfect and happy families in the world, but the fact is that quite many children in Japan are under a huge pressure from their families, and some even get beaten.
It does not happen to everyone, but it happens.

As for Ryu in Agito. I have some mixed feelings about him, because while I did feel sorry for him, his constant lack of luck almost became a running gag later on. They even joked about it in Ryuki, where his short cameo consited of being beaten up by Asakura :laugh:

Through the whole show, it was like "Let's give Ryu something that will make him extremely happy, and then we will take it away from him and punch him in the nuts!"
He was tormented and eventually killed, ONLY to be brought back to life and go through the whole **** again. Evil, Inoue... evil...
Heck, I almost expected his puppy to get run over in the last episode...

 

[kuroihikari]

The main reason why I haven't seen most Heisei KR is because they're too dark for me. I haven't seen Kiva, and everything before Kabuto. Or I can blame having seen only the dubs. The dubs of 555, Agito and Kuuga all showed the tragedy of the characters pretty well. Too good for my liking.

Not that I can't watch dark or that I think dark is bad, but if I'm gonna suspend disbelief by watching toku, I'd rather watch something that can easily cheer me up.

 

[Scissors]

Neither Ryuki or Hibiki are THAT "dark"
They have some serious moments, but they are far from dark.
Ryuki had a fine balance between comedy and seriousness, and Hibiki only got "Supaa dark 'n' seriouzzz!" in the 15 last episodes.

I think there is a difference between being dark, and being over-the-top dark.
As much as I loved the show, I think Ultraman Nexus was guilty of overdoing it. It felt like a Philippine soap-opera, where the main character is NEVER allowed to be happy. Something bad HAS to happen to him, no matter what.

Seriously, the show had ALL the stereotypes you could wish for.

Komon - The emo-boy who whines about his life in every episode

Nagi - The super serious girl, who would rather shoot a bullet through her head than cracking a smile

Himeya - The tormented loner, who spend most of his time running around in the woods, while gridding his teeth.

When the second arc started and Ren was introduced, I was like "Happy music? People who smile? OH GOD YES! THANK YOU!"

Then the writers decided that Ren had to have an illness, and I was like "Oh COME ON!!!"
Well, at least he got a happy ending

 

[Tokuboy]

I haven't found any toku really dark, unless you count the no-win-for-Shinji 13 Riders special.