SCROLLS FROM OUR ANCESTORS: ToQGAF 2014 | TokuGAF 2013 | TokuGAF 2012 | Henshin 2009-2011 | Super Sentai 2009
Box of Bunnies said:
WillyFive said:Wait, so this is just Power Rangers?
The original cast of Kyoryuger on top, and the cast of Power Rangers Dino Charge on the bottom. Power Rangers takes the fight scenes of Kyoryuger and make their own story using their own actors, putting both together to make a new show that adapts the original.
However, Tokusatsu is more than Power Rangers, it includes shows and movies such as Godzilla, Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Metal Heroes, Super Sentai, VR Troopers, Beetleborgs, and by definition shows like CW's The Flash, BBC's Doctor Who, Marvel's Iron Man, and pretty much anything that uses special effects.
Shuriken Sentai Nin'ninjer
Marking 40 years since five color-coded heroes first exploded into televisions, the ninja that sealed the evil Yokai has passed away, undoing the seal and unleashing them into the world. The five descendants of the hero must unite to end the terrifying threat once and for all. Directed by Shōjirō Nakazawa (Gokaiger, Kamen Rider Wizard), written by Kento Shimoyama (Good Luck Girl, Servant x Service).
Where to watch:
Japan: Premieres on TV Asahi on February 22 at 7:30 a.m
Elsewhere: Fan subs provided by Over-Time
Power Rangers Dino Charge
Judd Lynn (Power Rangers In Space, Time Force, RPM) returns to Power Rangers with the 3rd dino-based series in the franchise. Energerms, crystals that posses great power, are entrusted to dinosaurs by aliens, but when the mass extinction occurs, they are lost; until a group of teens dig them up and use them to become the Power Rangers. Uses footage from Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger.
Visit the NeoGAF Power Rangers Dino Charge Official Thread
Where to watch:
Airs every Saturday at 12PM on Nick, rerun the following morning. Schedule may vary depending on your country. Episodes are available the following day on Nick.com and on Hulu.
Kamen Rider Drive
From Riko Sanjo (Kamen Rider W, Fourze, Kyoryuger); a show about a young detective who finds himself using the powers of an incredible car to stop monsters that can seemingly control time.
Visit the NeoGAF Kamen Rider Drive Official Thread
Where to watch:
Japan: 8 AM Sundays on TV Asahi.
Elsewhere: Fan subs provided by Over-Time
Kyoryuger is bitchin'.
You can quote me on that
-Kamen Rider Kuuga
-Kamen Rider Double
-Kamen Rider Fourze
-Kamen Rider Gaim
-Jetman
-Kakuranger
-Kyoryuger
-Akibaranger
Newbie Recommendations:
For Super Sentai: Boukenger. It's very indicative of the franchise over all. It's very basic and episodic with very, very few overarching plots, but that's part of it's charm and it kind of is reminiscent of older Sentai in this way.
For Kamen Rider: Kuuga. It's a slow-paced show and some people find it hard to really get into, but the underlying police drama of it really sold me on the show and it really does feel like a buddy-cop movie at times. I don't know. Kamen Rider for newbies is a bit harder to recommend because the franchise tends to wildly differ from year to year, especially in the early days of the Heisei revival.
Other Fun Stuff: The Takara Tomy trinity of Ryukendo, Rescue Force and Rescue Fire. Ryukendo feels like Tomy's answer to Toei's Kamen Rider, but it's a boat-load of fun and the characters are just a blast. The Rescue series are Tomy's answer to Toei's Sentai, but due to it's focus on rescues (extreme or otherwise), it's usually very good at keeping your interest.
I don't have enough experience/familiarity with Ultraman to give a good recommendation, sadly.
Bouken and kuuga? Don't listen to that man! Both of those series are boring, although boken has interesting parts.
For sentai go with deka and for rider go with kabuto
I strongly suggest the following:
Kamen Rider OOO's- It builds a very strong core cast. Everyone matters and everyone is likeable. It has a very nice build up of the hero's powers and him growing into them as they are constantly depicting how hard it is to handle using combos for him. Also it adds the nice mix of both drama, comedy and action that is prevalent across the entire Kamen Rider franchise.
Kamen Rider Gaim-living proof that no matter the theme if the show puts together a real plot with real risk/reward issues then it can carry itself. This is one of the best Rider shows hands down. Lots of powers, good cast, and tons of crazy plot twists. Things get dark and things stay heated. A great show.
Kamen Rider Den O- by God it was popular for a reason. It is the comedic landmark in all the shows and to date it still holds audiences with Momotaros. The cast is fun, heartwarming, and there is actually some real drama here. A must see if you want to relax and just enjoy fun stuff.
Kamen Rider W- detective mystery with a great show encompassing sub plot that eventually takes over and takes off. This is one of the best there ever was, or will be...except for Chief. She's a fucking turd.
Kuuga is a type of show we will probably never see again: at its core it is a J-drama with your main character being able to transform into a Hero. Its visual effects will feel outdated, but it's also a show that doesn't rely on much CGI anyway. It's a very reality-grounded show, with much less toys to sell. Its relatively low budget forces it to focus on storytelling instead of style--all for the better. Hibiki is a similar show to Kuuga, but I'd recommend Kuuga over Hibiki because the latter was retooled in the middle of the season, making Kuuga the "complete" one.
So yeah that's a +1 for Kuuga. I'll write for other Rider shows and Sentai when I'm done with houseworks later today.
Rider:
W: One of the Heisei's best: characters, secondary Rider dynamic, suits, unique shenanigan with the 2-in-1 MC, ending is not a disaster, solid movies.
Gaim: Just an amazing ride (hah) with the most improbable start and motifs (fruits? dancing gangs? pokemon?) that never stops surprising you, a must watch even if it doesn't seems like it.
Agito: Modern Rider/Toei tokusatsu isn't your cup of tea? Watch this then. Suffering, mysteries, murders, cops, amnesiac people and EVOLUTION.
Anti recommendation - Wizard: Just. Don't. Watch. It. It's not worth your time.
Are we ok to suggest movies and manga? If so, I would include OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders, Kamen Rider Spirits and Kamen Rider Black.And Shin. Yeah, I actually like it.
Sentai:
Gokaiger: Some of the best fighting scenes on TV, consistent (if shallow) characters, solid ending and a sneak peek into all other sentais. A kick ass show in general.
Wish I could recommend some Metal Heroes/Ultra/different stuff, but either I haven't watched much of it, it's pretty hard to find subbed or I'm going mostly by nostalgia. And that reminds me that I must watch Zubat after I finish Kaku!
so for super sentai.
gekiranger
kyoryuger
hurricanger
dekaranger
akibaranger
kamen rider
kabuto
blade
W
OOOs
fourze
gaim
other series
ryukendo
tomica heroes rescue force
tomica heroes rescue fire
Riders:
Kabuto: It was my first rider show and still my favorite (although not the best). It has tons of Riders, the characters are interesting for the most part, and the action is marvelous. The only bad thing is that the plot gets pretty convoluted near the end. I watched this a second time last year (made my roommate watch it as his first rider show) and the plot makes sense now, so you may need to watch it twice. Did I mention the Hopper bros?
Gaim: Take everything Kabuto did (minus hilarious characters) and dial it up to infinity. Yeah, Gaim is definitely the best rider show, plot wise. It has a pretty mundane start but after around 10 episodes it picks up the pace and develops into a show where every single episode after will have you saying "THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN!" If there were a Rider show to represent the "just one more episode" or "next episode is the finale, right?" mantras, this would be it. Guaranteed to have you sitting on the edge of your seat.
W: Detectives and two-in-one Kamen Rider. Seriously, if Kabuto didn't exist, this would be my favorite season. 'nuff said.
Sentai
Dekaranger: First Sentai that I watched. I struggle to really say why I recommend it because I haven't watched it since 2006 but damn was it entertaining. If you like Power Rangers SPD, then you'll definitely love this. It has mystery, a good cast of heroes, and a talking dog. What's not to like?
I prefer Agito to Kuuga, though I'm sure I'm in the minority.
Kamen Rider W, Kamen Rider Gaim, Kamen Rider Den-O; in that order.
Kyoryuger is the W of Super Sentai. Start there, work your way out to Shinkenger and Dekaranger.
I can only recommend Kamen Rider, because I haven't started on a Super Sentai show yet. I've seen some of the movies here and there.
Go in this order - the Kamen Rider ZO movie, W, OOO, Fourze, Gaim, Kuuga, Agito, and then everything else in any order. Start with ZO because it's basically the pure concept of KR condensed into 45 minutes. If you like it, it'll help you get into the shows proper. The weakest Kamen Rider shows are Wizard and Kiva. They can be quite fun though. Drive is, so far, very good, so jump in on that whenever.
If you're going to watch anything from the Showa era, don't watch more than 2 episodes a week, because you'll burn out very quickly if you try to binge them. I tried to binge Black and I stopped in the 20s and didn't go back to it for 12 months.
I agree with Agito being better than Kuuga. The plot is better, the pacing is better, the writing is pretty decent and Inoue's tendencies for misunderstandings, love polygons, etc. are toned down a level where they enhance the show instead of making you question their stupidity. I still think if anyone wants to watch Agito, they need to watch Kuuga first because even though Toei says they're not related, I feel it enhances the Agito viewing experience if you treat it as a loose, thematic sequel.
Watch W, OOO and Fourze. Really great Rider series.
For Sentai I suggest Boukenger, Shinkenger, Gobusters, Kakuranger and Dekaranger. If you watch Gokaiger for the first time it might give you a false impression on how Sentai works.
WillyFive said:
I started with Shinkenger and Den-O, but I also recommend watching Gokaiger and Fourze, or Kyoryuger and Gaim.
There are lots of older shows that are fantastic as well, but I think it's best to start with newer shows and make your way backwards, since the newer ones have better production and storytelling quality, and it allows you to appreciate better older shows in all the stuff they had to do with such limited resources.
Top 2014 Grand Prix
