What tokusatsu should I watch now?

[Followret]

Around Mid-June of this year a friend introduced me to Super Sentai, I grew up watching Power Rangers so this was perfect. I started with Goukaiger and couldn't stop watching until I finished it. Then I tried a few other Sentai but none really grabbed my attention as quickly as Goukaiger. That was until I watched Magiranger which also captured me from beginning to end. I tried watching Hurricaneger and Gekiranger recently due to their Power Ranger counterparts but those also didn't pull me in. I'm wary about getting into Kamen Rider mostly because I honestly can't stand the bug looking masks. So knowing that I loved Magiranger and Goukaiger what should I watch next?

Thanks!

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

Around Mid-June of this year a friend introduced me to Super Sentai, I grew up watching Power Rangers so this was perfect. I started with Goukaiger and couldn't stop watching until I finished it. Then I tried a few other Sentai but none really grabbed my attention as quickly as Goukaiger. That was until I watched Magiranger which also captured me from beginning to end. I tried watching Hurricaneger and Gekiranger recently due to their Power Ranger counterparts but those also didn't pull me in. I'm wary about getting into Kamen Rider mostly because I honestly can't stand the bug looking masks. So knowing that I loved Magiranger and Goukaiger what should I watch next?

Thanks!

How far did you get with Gekiranger? I find that it dramatically improves around episode 8 or 9. (I know that's a bit of a wait)

I guess I've become used to them but by this point I don't really see the bug designs in Kamen Rider helmets anymore. Even when they are based on bugs, it's done so in a pretty subtle manner unless everything about them is bug themed. (ala Kabuto and a lot of the earlier Riders) I would definitely recommend getting into Kamen Rider at some point as a lot of the best tokusatsu shows come from that franchise and the tone alone is vastly different from anything Super Sentai does. Personally, I think a good series to jump into is Kamen Rider Double. It's a solid series, well written, interesting characters, a story that feels as if it was planned out from the start, and a very satisfying conclusion.

If you enjoyed Magiranger, you might also like ToQger. Both casts have this overwhelmingly positive vibe to them while faced against villains that are representations of the darkness. Plus, it's got a pretty cool mystery early on in the show and some very interesting villains. If you haven't tried it, Zyuohger, the current series, is also refreshingly fun with a very likable lead and unique twist on who the Rangers themselves are.

I would also recommend maybe an Ultraman series. You can watch a ton of them for free, legally streaming and subbed on Crunchyroll. (the currently airing series is being streamed two hours after it airs in Japan to paid users and a week later to free users) I'd recommend maybe trying Ultraman X or Mebius in that case. Ultraman's tone tends to be very similar to Sentai but it has a fairly different formula as far as the action and plots are concerned. Mebius and X are essentially two versions of the same show - something meant for newer viewers to see all the basic staples of Ultraman and be introduced to some of the past hero characters in the franchise. (Mebius introduces you to the older characters while X introduces you to characters from 2004 onward) Mebius is about a young hero coming to earth and basically learning what makes it such a great place and why all of his elders protected it in the past. X is about a young scientist studying strange radio frequencies whose goal is to find a way for both humans and monsters to coexist.


So, my top recommendations would be: Ultraman X or ToQger.

Though I'd definitely suggest finding a way into Kamen Rider at some point as well.

 

[Shougo B'Stard]

^ I'm surprised you didn't recommend Kyoryuger. That's what I'd probably recommend to the original poster. It tries to be the fanciful spectacle of a Magiranger, it has a Power Rangers-y feel to it if you're a fan of that franchise (it's really felt with Koichi Sakamoto as main director), and it sort of shamelessly incorporates an idea from almost each of the previous Sentai shows, so it might give you that Gokaiger anniversary-type vibe.

I'd recommend something like Goseiger or even Kamen Rider Wizard (magic-themed, and since he looks like a Jolly Rancher and not a bug, that shouldn't be a problem), but they really don't have distinct characters or strong plots; those shows will bore a newcomer verrrrrrrrrrry quickly.

But if you're not afraid of something a little older, I'd strongly recommend Gingaman. If you're not afraid of quirkiness, I'd also recommend Abaranger.

 

[Followret]

Thank you both so much for the awesome in depth answers.

I may have to try ToQger. All I know about it other than what you said is that it's train based so it could be neat. And after I posted this I did look into Kamen Rider seasons and W (I think that's Double) has a neat sounding concept. I may also look into that Kamen Rider Wizard. As well as Ultraman. Again thanks for the massive replies!

Edit: Oh yeah I only got to episode 6 with Gekiranger. I could certainly push through a few more episodes to get to good stuff.

 

[Aikijou]

I would stay away from Wizard. That show is just a mess of victims of the week, and uninteresting characters. However, I would definitely suggest Gaim or Drive, or Kabuto just because the show itself is cool and the drama is good.

 

[Followret]

Well I started ToQger last night...I gotta admit it grabbed my attention in the first 20 seconds! I'm only on episode 6 but currently the only ToQger that I dislike is the blue one. He seems generic when compared to the others. At first I was wary about those helmets but the Henshin sequence makes up for any suit flaw imo. Also the Henshin sequence is brilliant! It finally gives a reason for the enemies not to attack while they are transforming.

 

[DaikaijuSokogeki!]

If you enjoy ToQger, I totally recommend Kamen Rider Den-O. Shares the same train motif, but combines it with time travel instead of imagination. It also has a lot of the zaniness of ToQger (both shows have the same head writer), but in my opinion is an overall stronger show thanks to Takeru Satoh's brilliant performance(s?) and the camaraderie between the Imagin. It doesn't have much in the way of a main storyline, but the characters are so much fun that you won't really care.

 

[Followret]

If you enjoy ToQger, I totally recommend Kamen Rider Den-O. Shares the same train motif, but combines it with time travel instead of imagination. It also has a lot of the zaniness of ToQger (both shows have the same head writer), but in my opinion is an overall stronger show thanks to Takeru Satoh's brilliant performance(s?) and the camaraderie between the Imagin. It doesn't have much in the way of a main storyline, but the characters are so much fun that you won't really care.

I also just started Gaim. I will definitely look into Den-O though. I was planning on watching both Gaim and ToQger at the same time but now I'm getting absorbed into Gaim. Its amazing!

 

[zRexx]

I would suggest Dekaranger at some point. I recently started watching, and it seems pretty good so far.

It feels like a lot of thought was put into it, with the different gizmos that the characters use, the way they formulate their plans, etc. Compared to some other Sentais, it has a very "smart" vibe going for it. The characters feel like actual detectives, believe it or not.

Plus the chemistry between characters is very strong. Its a rare case where none of the rangers feel casted aside. They all make their presence known, instead of outshining one another like what happens in many Sentais.