Well, it's been a long while. Sorry for the hiatus, but Big Nova Subs finally finished the entire series. For a moment, it looked like other groups might step up and finish where they left off. But Big Nova finished their personal business and managed to get back on this show after all!
Episode 6 was just... Ouch. I felt that in the pit of my gut. I saw the ending unraveling and I even knew the return slap was coming, but it doesn't change the fact that it was such a horrible thing to happen between a parent and child. The episode was mostly innocuous, but they lead me to believe that maybe if Kano tried to understand her mother's feelings and everything, then maybe they could each come to an understanding about each other. Instead, we got the worst possible scenario, yet one that does sometimes play out in real life...
To all those with aspirations of being a parent some day, don't do this. Don't be this kind of parent. If you truly love and care about your child, then prove it by just letting them be who they want to be. If they aren't hurting anybody, then remember there's always worse things they could have been. Your job is to just love unconditionally, accept them for who they are even if it wasn't what you had in mind, and be happy for them.
And finally... Episode 7. It's happy. It's also bittersweet, but it's happy. And fittingly so. Kano and her mother have damaged their relationship, and maybe it'll never be quite the same. But they can at least pick up the pieces, much like Kano's broken Shishi Leo figure. I'm sad that I'll never see how Kano's love life ends. She was finally showing interest in someone, and someone else in the office had a secret crush on her. There's perhaps a lot of unresolved story lines. But maybe keeping them unresolved is for the best. It's not the same as being denied a final fight scene in an action show. It's more like a metaphor about how life doesn't have any endings, just potential to become something different and maybe something better.
And you know I loved that surprise cameo at the end!! Well, that was Tokusatsu GaGaGa.
It might not have been as long as other shows with similar subject material, but the overall message was a powerful one that longer shows don't always hit. Maybe it's not fair to compare, but if AkibaRanger is just for the nerds, then Tokusatsu GaGaGa is for everyone. The nerds will connect with Kano's journey (especially if you love Tokusatsu), and hopefully the casuals will take something away from it without feeling like they are forced to watch a kids show, and any parents out there will hopefully learn that being a nerd doesn't equal being a failure at life. It's got heart warming moments, bittersweet moments, great moments, tough moments, and it really is a worthwhile journey. Best of all, at only 7 episodes, you don't have to worry about taking a large chunk out of anyone's life to fully enjoy it.
I have never read the manga. Pieces of manga art were seen in this series, mostly as an eye catch for the commercial breaks. I noticed that in illustrations, Kano looks a bit more full proportionately, and her actor is a bit thinner by comparison. I wondered if she truly represented the image of a nerd, or if she was chosen for the part just because she's pretty. However, in the last two episodes, I think her acting ability is what really sold it. You can try to emulate it in manga; but that powerful outburst, the tears and quivering lip, and the lingering feelings of grief and sorrow... She nailed it. She might have even nailed it better than an anime voice actor. And the final message of the show really ties everything together. A perfect message to end on.
I'm happy to say that Tokusatsu GaGaGa is now at the top of my list of toku-related dramas, and I highly recommend it.
(Sorry AkibaRanger, but you've been demoted to #2.) And they had better release a soundtrack with the EmerJason and Jushowan theme songs, darn it! I need those songs in my life!
