A Look at Sentai's Screaming Reds and Ditzy Chicks

Some of the most controversial characters in Sentai can be classified under two subgroups, the "screaming reds" and the "ditzy" girls.  These characters tend to have similar traits, hyperactive, bubbly, sometimes childish, and outright idiots.  They divide fans.  Some love these characters for being fun, energetic, or even funny.  Other fans get headaches from watching them, being annoyed by how loud one screams or squeals, or even how hyperactive they are.  One thing I've noticed is that while Sentai had these or similar types of characters before, the trend seemed to start with Dekaranger.  Perhaps it was Dekaranger's popularity that influenced writers and producers to make more similar characters.  Also, while there were a handful of ditzy girls before the 2000's, I'm focusing more on the 2000's because that's what I've seen mostly and where the trend seems to start.




Yousuke is seen by some to be the first screaming red type.  He was the stereotypical idiot hero, but was more of a screecher than a screamer.  With Yousuke, I'm not entirely sure if he's even meant to be as much of a screecher as he is.  The actor's acting wasn't very good and often had awkward delivery.  As a character, Yousuke also fell flat in comparison to the other Hurricaneger characters.  His character had ego problems, and often fought over little things, had conflicts with his sensei, or with Kouta over who was chosen to be captain.  Yousuke also didn't have a storyline that stood out with his character, like Nanami with her singing career, Kouta with his sister and grandmother, the Goraijers with their father, or even Shurikenger with Gozen.




Some fans classify Nanami as one of the ditzy girls, though I don't really see it that much.  Like the other Hurricanegers (and many who fall under the ditzy stereotype) she's cheerful and energetic, but I don't really see the "airheaded" part in her.  Nanami acted like an airhead in episode 43 after reacting to Gozen not eating her New Years dinner that she cooked, but that's really the only time throughout the series where she seemed airheaded to me.  She had some instances where she fell for a Jakanja trap, but I don't think it would be any different for any average human given the situation. The character herself I thought was fun and enjoyable.  I felt her actress did a good job handling the hyperactive aspects of her character, and had her idol drama going on as well.




Ban was the first true "screaming red" character in Sentai.  With the exception of Boukenger, Ban was the first of a series of screaming reds that ended with Go-Onger.  He seems to be modeled after the cowboy cop stereotype.  Him and Jan are probably the loudest of the screamers, as such he tends to annoy fans more.  His actor does overact at times, but I found many of his quirks to be pretty funny.  Examples being drop kicking Hoji for acting pathetic from a mistake, and the wild, recklessness of his character.  What made his personality interesting was the sharp contrast between him and Hoji, the by the book cop, and how both characters interacted throughout the season.  At times this interaction got a little grating because of their respective personality nuances, but it was still fun to watch them grow together and respect each other throughout the series.




While Umeko wasn't the first ditz in Sentai, like Ban she started a trend with this type of character. Dekaranger through Boukenger all had a ditzy female character, and later Goseiger had a ditz as well. Among all the ditzy characters, Umeko is probably the most simplistic, without much depth or development.  However, her actress IMO did the best job with the character and was fun to watch.  Her actress had good comedic range and was pretty funny.  She had funny moments like the drunken boxing episode, and she felt like what the writers were aiming for: a cute, funny, and more like a kid who was untypical for a cop, but still had her traits that made her valuable to the space police.  However, Umeko isn't all that ditzy.  Despite having her airhead moments, she has some rather good ideas for handling the various cases that the Dekarangers encountered.  This included situations like her being a negotiator, and going under cover in the dream state to help her team catch an alienizer who invaded other people's dreams.



Following Dekaranger's success, Magiranger built many of their characters with similar personalities to their Dekaranger counterparts.  This included Magiranger's version of the screaming red, Kai.  Kai was a lighter version of Ban, reckless, rash, and a screamer, but not as loud as Ban.  As such, he doesn't get criticized as much as Ban does.  Being the youngest sibling of the Magiranger cast, Kai had an innocence element that also added a bit of flavor to the character.  He also matures later on towards the end of the series.  IMO, Kai was descent.  His innocence, along with his interaction with Yuka and rivalry with Wolzard made him interesting enough to watch.



Likewise, Magiranger had its own version of the ditz, Houka. But with Houka, having her as the "kiddy ditz" didn't really make sense.  She was the second oldest of the Magiranger siblings, and the writers seemed confused as to whether they wanted to make her the comedic ditz or the motherly figure of some past Sentai pinks.  They got something in between that didn't quite work.  Her ditzy characteristics were the worst part of her character.  The actress IMO didn't really fit well with the character.  Furthermore, she felt more often like she was more meddlesome and in the way, than fun.  One example being her trying to be a matchmaker for Kai and Yuka, but making the situation more messy.



Of all the ditzy child-like characters, I felt Natsuki was the most believable and understandable, in the way that she was written.  She acted childish and was airheaded, but she was a character that felt like she actually was a child in an adult's body.  She had no memory of herself, and was in fact, in suspended animation throughout what would have been her childhood.  So without a real childhood and ignorant of civilization, I felt it made more sense that she would act like a child, was airheaded, and still growing up.  Her storyline also helped make her interesting.  The actress did ok with her role, but was still enjoyable nonetheless.



Like Natsuki, Jan was the most well-written of the screaming reds.  I'm personally mixed on the character.  Like Natsuki, he has a believable background of growing up away from civilization (in a jungle actually), and didn't know how to interact with humans regularly.  He also has an interesting storyline to go with his character.  My complaint with him are some of his quirks.  I felt he screamed and overacted too much at times, and also the way he threw temper-tantrums at times got really grating.  He does mature towards the end of the series which helps, but at times it felt like a chore for him to get there.



In terms of IQ, Sousuke is easily the dumbest character on this list.  Sousuke was the standard idiot hero, and had little of a storyline in comparison to Jan, Kai, or Natsuki.  At times his idiocy does get over the top, but I felt he pulled off the idiot hero character pretty well.  He didn't annoy me like other idiot hero characters do, and I felt his actor had the charm to make him enjoyable to watch.  Like Hoji and Ban, the contrast between him and Hiroto made the two enjoyable to watch.  But what really helped his character was his relationship with his Engine partner Speedor.  I thought the two had some good interaction and character development from this interaction.



Eri is the last character to be a ditz so far. She was... up and down.  Compared to the other Goseigers she had a little more personality and probably the most consistent characterization along with Alata (which isn't saying much).  However, there are times where she can get irritating, particularly when she squeals or when her mind goes to a thousand places at once.  Also like virtually all of the Goseiger characters, she has very little character development.  Her actress did an ok job in general, but like the rest of the Goseiger cast, didn't know how to handle the bad script.

My Top 10 Miscellaneous Colored Sentai Warriors

After reading some of Godzilla606's top 10 lists, I decided to start one of my own. This one will be on miscellaneous colored Sentai warriors. By miscellaneous, I mean colors that aren't very common such as violet, maroon, navy, silver, gold, and even orange (though this is debatable). Usually these characters fill in the 6th ranger or extra ranger role.

Note to ChrisX: Hurricaneger spoilers (and spoilers for other shows) ahead.

10. Naoto/Time Fire


I don't like Naoto's attitude that much, but he does work out really well from a story perspective. He adds some spice to Timeranger, and does balance the other Timeranger characters out. While the others have their own problems and are the heroes, Naoto is the anti-hero who has his own ambitions.

9. Swan/Deka Swan


Swan was quite charming as the team mom of Dekaranger, and awesome as Ms. Tech support (although Miki of Gekiranger beats her for tech support characters). I also likied her humorous side, like using a really big needle on Doggie at the end of episode 44.

8. Genta/Shinken Gold


#2 through #8 are really tough choices for me since I love all of these characters. Genta comes in at #8. He's both funny and badass at the same time. IMO he's the funniest character that we've had from Magiranger-Gokaiger.

7. Isamu/Wolzard Fire


Between being the villain Wolzard, being the Magiranger's father, and turning good again, Isamu IMO is the best character on Magiranger. He was badass as a villain, and still awesome once he became good and turned into Wolzard Fire. His story arc was pretty cool as well.

6. Isshu/Kuwaga Raijer


I think Isshu is the weaker of the two Goraijer characters due to overacting a little bit (though he's not horrid), being overreliant on his brother at times, and his relationship with Nanami going nowhere. However, I still think he's an awesome character. He shares the same awesome backstory with Ikkou and his father. I love their development and what they went through. Isshu is the support character, and a very good one at that. His rash yet more sympathetic personality balances out Ikkou's cool yet more stoic and stern personality.

5. Miu/Go-On Silver


Like Isshu, Miu is the supporting character to her more stern, stoic brother Hiroto. She's the nicer of the two Go-On Wings. Like the Goraijers, the Go-On Wings develop from jerkasses to learning to accept the wackier Go-Onger characters (this was rushed a bit at the beginning but was done better as the series progressed). Also like Isshu, Miu becomes overreliant on her older brother, but what I like about Miu is that she learns to not become overly dependent on Hiroto (episode 38).

4. Gou/Geki Violet


Sandwitched in between the two Go-On Wings is Gou, whom IMO is the best of the core 5 Gekiranger characters. He's badass, has a cool backstory involving him becoming a werewolf, and a cool vibe about him. I also liked his development from being the lonewolf to being part of the team, as well as his evolving relationship with his brother Retsu. To me he's Tsukumaru amped up to 11.

3. Hiroto/Go-On Gold


I really liked Hiroto's development as the jerk with a heart of gold. He had to learn to recognize the strength of the Go-Ongers. Initially this was a little rushed but I felt the loose strings were tied more convincingly when he learned in episode 23 that Sousuke's randomness was useful. What I felt really solified his character was the episode with Chibi-Chan (episode 41), which really showed a soft, gentle side to Hiroto.

2. Eiji/Bouken Silver


Eiji is really cool. He's rash, badass, yet quite funny with his extreme herbivore antics. I also loved his backstory that involved the Questers and his parents (especially his mother). It's one of the better storylines in Boukenger. I also liked how he developed to accept the other Boukenger's help to defeat the Questers.

1. Ikkou/Kabuto Raijer


Ikkou is my favorite jerkass character to receive the defrosting the ice queen development. The Goraijer story-arc from villains to jerkass rivals of the Hurricanegers, and finally becoming friends is really well done. What separates Ikkou from Isshu is his storyline with the scorpion, and realizing how much Yousuke and the other Hurricanegers cared about him.

Sentai Characters Whom I Think Get Over-hated/Under-appreciated.

After reading Fantasy Leader's recent post, and also having an interesting discussion in the comments on one of my previous posts, I decided to weigh in on Sentai characters whom I feel receive too much hate or too much criticism. Criticisms on these characters tend to range from being the ditz, the "loud and annoying screaming red," too girly, too hyper, being bland, or being a jerkass. Before anyone asks, I do plan on doing a similar post for Power Ranger characters, at a later time.

Ban/Deka Red


Next we have Ban, one of the most infamous and controversal characters ever in Sentai. Ban's one of the "screaming reds" which also includes Yousuke, Kai, Jan, and Sousuke. However, Ban was probably the first among the group that received sharp criticism. He's criticized for being loud, annoying, and even being a jerkass. Others criticize Ryuji Sainei's acting and portrayal of Ban. The latter I disagree with. Based on the nature of his character and how later, similar characters are portrayed, I think Ban was meant to be overplayed. I think Ryuji Sainei nailed his portrayal of Ban spot-on. Furthermore, whenever Ban had an emotional scene or an instant where he had to slow down, I felt his acting was very good. It is understandable that some people will find him annoying, but I think Ban was a unique character. Like Fantasy Leader said, Dekaranger parodies its motif, cop shows, and Ban is a parody of a cowboy cop. I thought Ban's wild, recklessness was quite fun to watch, and he's pretty badass as well.

Umeko/Deka Pink


Along with Ban, I think Umeko is another Dekaranger character who gets bashed too much. Criticism on Umeko range from her being a flat one dimensional character with little development, being overly ditzy and childish (especially for being a cop), and for being Ms. Fanservice. With her character, I think some fans take her and Dekaranger too seriously at times. It is true that she is kinda one dimensional, but I think she received a fair amount of development. Throughout the show, she grew out of an inferiority complex (episode 17) and showed that she's daring and capable of taking things into her own hands when needed (episodes 24 & 39 are good examples). Even then, I think some fans judge characters too much on their development at times while overlooking aspects that make him/her a fun character. Umeko, along with Ahim (whom I'll get to later) is a perfect example. I know her ditzy nature might not appeal to everybody, but I think Umeko is quite a funny character. Furthermore, I think her ditzy nature is portrayed in a way that actually makes her character unique, and provides a refreshing balance to the more serious characters in Dekaranger like Tetsu, Hoji, and Jasmine. I also think her actress, Mika Kikuchi, is quite talented as both an actress and a singer.

Natsuki/Bouken Yellow


Like Umeko, Natsuki gets criticized for being overly ditzy and even more childish than Umeko. However, with her character I think Natsuki has an excuse. She was in suspended animation for 100,000 years, from the moment she was a baby. Her body only aged one year for every 5,000 years, and thus she was basically 20 when she woke up. Because of this, she never really had a childhood and thus never had a chance to grow up, so I think it's realistic that she's childish, ditzy, and a bit off. Furthermore, I think Natsuki has one of the most interesting backstories among 2000's Sentai characters, being the princess of an ancient civilization.

Eiji/Bouken Silver


To a lesser extent, Eiji also gets criticized. He's one of those characters that while has some popularity, isn't the most popular. Some fans criticize him for being "bland and boring" which seems to be a common criticism of Boukenger in general by the fans who don't like the series. With Eiji, I just don't see it. I think he's one of the most interesting 6th rangers in Sentai, and is among my top three favorites among 6th rangers (including Shurikenger and Doggie Krugar if he counts). Like Natsuki, I think Eiji has an interesting backstory as being one of the watchers of the Ashu. He's one of the more complex characters on Boukenger, and I love his rash yet badass personality.

Jan/Geki Red


With Jan, I won't lie. I'm not a big fan of his character, and I do find him at times to be annoying and an extreme version of Ban. Besides being one of the "screaming reds" Jan also gets criticized for his unique dialect of made up words. However, also like Ban I think the hatred of his character is often overexaggerated. He does gradually change, and has some good moments here and there (particularly the KaGeki arc, episode 22, the Gekiranger movie, and his backstory when it's revealed). Like Ban, his actor is fairly good when he has to show emotion or has to slow down a bit. Like Natsuki, while his childishness and dialect can get grating at times, I think it's a realistic part of his character since he lived away from society.

Ran/Geki Yellow


Like Umeko, Ran is criticized for being one dimensional and lacking development. However, I think her character receives a fair amount of development. Throughout Gekiranger, she had to learn to lighten up a bit and smile, deal with Jan and Retsu being turned into kids, learning how to be a team captain, and dealing with her mother. I do however, think her character gets the short end of the stick because she's underused, lacks focus episodes, and her leadership isn't developed as much as I would like. But for the short amount of focus I got, I think we got quite a bit out of her character.

Sousuke/Go-On Red


Sousuke is also at times bunched up with the group of "screaming reds." However, unlike the others I think he gets more criticism or is overlooked because of the series he's in, Go-Onger. He's much like Ban, and IMO plays the screaming red part better than anyone else except for Ban. Like Ban, he's quite reckless, but like Yousuke he's an idiot hero. While I like Ban better, I think he plays the "idiot hero" better than Yousuke. I also liked his relationship with his partner, Speedor, and also some of his dramatic stories such as episodes 35 & 36, and the Go-Onger movie. I also thought his interaction with the more serious characters was interesting, like the Go-On Wings or Takeru in Shinkenger vs Go-Onger.

Ahim/Gokai Pink


Despite the popularity of the Gokaiger cast, there's a trio of Gokaiger characters whom are a bit underappreciated by fans. The first is Ahim, whom like Umeko gets criticized for being the "girly-girl" of the team and being a flat one dimensional character. She also gets criticized for having a bland personality. Like Eiji, I just don't see it. Yeah she is "girly," but I don't think that's a good reason to dislike a character. I also don't think she's that bland of a character. I think she's shown some toughness, excellent gun skills, and I think is one of the best among recent Sentai senshi in terms of battle strategies and figuring out the opponent's strategies. Her development hasn't been as strong as the other Gokaigers so far, but I'm hoping we get a backstory episode about her past. Other's have even criticized her for being "badass" when the focus isn't on her, yet doing nothing in her own focus episodes, which I also disagree with. Episode 13 was kind of an oddball episode for me, but I like how she outsmarted Basco in episode 23 and the MOTW in episode 29. I also think unlike other stereotypical princesses, she's not your damsal in distress and holds her own pretty well.

Joe/Gokai Blue


Next we have Joe, who's not really "hated" but I feel is a bit underappreciated. Some fans accuse Joe of having the opposite problem as Ahim, being great in his focus episodes yet doing nothing or kinda just "being there" when the focus is not on him. To me this makes no sense. If the focus isn't on a certain character, he or she's not suppose to steal the show. So I don't think it hinders his character or the show at all. Others criticize him for being bland, which again I just don't see. It seems like some fans tend to associate "stoic" with being bland. Joe's focus episodes I think are among the best in the series, partly because of his backstory with the Zangyack and his friend Syd Bamick/Barizorg, but also because his acting talents really show in his focus episodes. This makes for some great drama. Also, like the other Gokaiger characters, he's quite awesome in terms of fighting ability.

Gai/Gokai Silver


Gai I think is another character who receives some unfair hate. He tends to get criticized for being a fanboy, Genta's clone, and being just there to cater to little kids and to sell toys. Admittedly, his fanboyishness does get a little grating once in a while, but I think just about anybody would act that way when meeting their favorite super hero or celebrity. In a way, his fanboyishness is a tribute to the franchise itself, and representing a fan's dream. Also, I think he contributes a lot to his team with his Sentai knowledge and has become relevant to the story. He's received some solid character development so far as well, particularly with his backstory, the Gingaman tribute episode, and even the Hurricanger two-parter.

Sentai Female Characters Who I Think are Their Series' Best Characters

Because Sentai has a male-majority audience, and far more male characters than female characters, I think sometimes the girls get overlooked. This is especially true unless the female character is hot. In fact, I think often the "girly-girl" or ditzy characters get bashed too often, like Umeko, Natsuki, and Ahim. So I decided to talk about some female characters that I feel are the best characters in their respective series. These are my biased opinions so I don't expect everyone to think the same way as I do.


Yuuri, Time Pink




I think Yuuri is the best character on Timeranger. Not just because she's the leader, or tsudere, but also her toughness and strategy intelligence. I also like her backstory with her family being killed and how it relates to her trying to capture Don Dorunero to bring justice to him.


Sae, GaoWhite




Sae is my favorite Gaoranger character. She's not really that good looking (but not ugly), but she has a delightful personality and excellent fighting skills. She's level headed and like the glue that keeps the Gaoranger team together, imo. I also loved the episode with her and her father. Interestingly, tvtropes.org describes her as a "bratty teenage daughter" but I just don't see it. It seems more like someone who didn't like her just added that to her character profile.


Jasmine, Deka Yellow



This one won't come as much of a surprise to anyone. For me, however, it's more than Jasmine's looks that I think makes her great. Her toughness, and mysterious charm. BTW, Ayumi Kinoshita is really good at playing mysterious characters, I'd recommend watching her on Uramiya Honpo to see this as well. Anyways, I also like Jasmine's funny sarcasm and her antics like nick-naming the MOTW or half-way singing the abaranger theme song on Dekaranger vs Abaranger, and of course because she's an ESPER. Not to mention she has a really touching backstory, where she was made fun of so much at one point she considered suicide before Doggie saved her.


Sakura/Bouken Pink and Natsuki/Bouken Yellow



In Boukenger I think both Sakura and Natsuki are the best characters. Sakura won't surprise anyone but Natsuki will. IMO Natsuki is highly underrated and gets bashed too much (at least on rangerboard) for being the girly girl and the ditz. However, I think her ditzy and energetic personality makes her cute and funny, especially episode 24 when she goes overkill with Ultimate DaiBouken. Besides her personality, Natsuki has one of the most interesting backstories with her being an ancient member of the extinct Lemuria civilization. Episodes 33 and 34, which covers Natsuki's background, are two of my favorite Sentai episodes ever.

However, I do like Sakura a tad bit more and think that Sakura is the better character. Like Yuuri, she's tough, intelligent, a genius with battle strategy, and a much different pink. But unlike Yuuri, Sakura can be both really badass (like episode 12) or really cute and adorable (like episode 37).

Eri/Gosei Pink, and Moune/Gosei Yellow



Like Boukenger, I think both of the Gosei girls are the best characters in their series. However, the difference is that in Boukenger, Sakura and Natsuki stick out in an already good cast. Here, Eri and Moune stick out in anotherwise bland and boring cast. For me, Eri and Moune aren't great characters but they're descent. They're the only Goseiger characters that really have any kind of personality. Eri, like Natsuki is bubbly and ditzy, but somewhat funny. Moune is also a bit on the bubbly and cheerful side as well. I will say that I hated the running gag of Hyde treating Moune like a child. It was alright the first time but afterwards it just got tiring.

Super Sentai's Handling of Nostalgia

Like Power Rangers, Sentai has its share of seasons that have a nostalgic base. Here's a look at a few selected examples.

Gaoranger


Gaoranger was the 25th anniversary season of Super Sentai. Like its Power Ranger counterpart, it didn't really intend to dig deep into nostalgia. However, it did have a few nostalgic elements. The heroes' color scheme was the same as Jetman's and GaoYellow's suit even had wings that were reminiscent of Jetman. The main nostalgic factor used was Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai, which involved a team-up with GingaBlue, MegaPink, Red Falcon, and the Big One with a quick pose of all the previous red rangers. Personally, I thought the team-up was ok. I liked the storyline with each of the past rangers helping the Gaorangers to overcome their fears and anxiety, but there are a few elements IMO that detract from the show. For one, there's no previous Sentai villain in the show, instead they fight previously defeated Orgs from Gaoranger. Also, more than half of it feels more like a clip show and we have a little too much of the orgs fighting stock footage. Then all the red senshi do is seemingly just pose and do their rollcall which was again, stock footage. It's an ok team-up, but among the anniversary team-ups I like Boukenger vs Super Sentai is better.



With Hurricanger, I don't know if I would call it a nostalgic base season. It combined elements of Liveman (student academies and starting out with three members with two more joining later) with Kakuranger (ninja theme). However, it's not really intended nostalgia like Boukenger and Gokaiger are. However, I do think Hurricanger combines these elements with its own unique elements and still manages to have an awesome season.

Abaranger


Abaranger bares a lot of nostalgia to Zyuranger. The most obvious is the dinosaur theme. The blue and red senshi both have the same type of dinosaur as a mecha as their Zyuranger counterparts did (T-Rex and Triceratops), and the lone female character had a Pteradactyle-like mecha like the lone Zyuranger female character. Storylines, however, are vastly different. Zyuranger handled the Dinosaur theme like a fairytail, while Abaranger put it more into a modern context, taking characters from present-day Japan. Another major difference is that Abaranger uses modern science with a twist, explaining that the asteroid that hit the Gulf of Mexico 65 million years ago separated the Earth into Earth and DinoEarth, with Dinosaurs still living on DinoEarth, which is essentially another dimension. I haven't seen a whole lot of Abaranger, but I do think it handles the dinosaur theme better than Zyuranger, which uses it like a fairytale.

Boukenger


Like Gaoranger, Boukenger was an anniversary season. However, Boukenger was the first season to really dig deep into nostalgia. Many of the villains and villain mechas had designs based on past Sentai mechas. Also, many of the characters were based off of previous Sentai characters and there were some Jetman elements, such as the black senshi, Masumi, being the rebel of the group and having an inter-squad rivalry with the red senshi, Akashi. After the ending credits, Boukenger also had the 30 Sentai Encyclopedia, which paid tribute to all the previous Sentais as well as other various elements of Sentai. I think these elements were well handled and as mentioned above, I like its Anniversary team-up, Boukenger vs Super Sentai, better than Gao vs SS.

Gekiranger


Gekiranger, like Hurricanger and Abaranger, was another somewhat nostalgic season but may have not intended to be nostalgic. It combined Dairanger's Chinese martial arts with some elements from Gaoranger. The Gaoranger elements include the beast theme, CGI mecha's, and even some of the mecha's being similar to Gaoranger, such as GekiElephant looking almost like GaoElephant, GekiGorilla being similar to GaoGorilla, GekiShark and GaoShark, GekiGazille and GaoDeer, GekiTiger and GaoTiger, GekiWolf and GaoWolf, and SaiDain being semilar to GekiRino. Also, Gou/GekiViolet, bares some similarities to Tsukumaro/GaoSilver. Both fulfill the "6th ranger" role, both are initially lone wolf characters, both at one time used an evil power to try to defeat an evil enemy, and both have wolf-like powers. Like Hurricanger and Abaranger, Gekiranger had much different storylines than the series they used to combine the elements. I can't comment a lot on how it handles the Chinese martial arts theme compared to Dairanger, but I do think Gekiranger handles some elements better than Gaoranger. For example, I like Gou more as a 6th ranger and lone wolf character than Tsukumaro, and the CGI mecha's are better handled in Gekiranger than they are in Gaoranger. However, I don't think the CGI mecha's really become good until Gokaiger.

Goseiger


Goseiger also had some nostalgic elements. The color of the suits and the helmit designs were similar to that of Zyuranger and the name Goseiger bears resemblence to Gosei Sentai Dairanger. The most glaring nostalgic resemblence is to Magiranger, with the Yuumajuu Beasts using magic powers and Super Goseiger mode being and looking similar to Magi Legend. However, I think the Magiranger elements weren't well handled at all. The Yuumajuu Beasts were terrible villains and the Super Goseiger mode just looked clunky with the big heads on the chest piece.

Gokaiger

Like Gaoranger and Boukenger, Gokaiger is also an anniversary season, being Sentai's 35th. In just 12 episodes, Gokaiger has dug deeper than Gaoranger and Boukenger combined. The ranger color schemes are the same as the original Sentai, Goranger. Also, there's the Legendary War, involving all past heroes, the Gokaigers transforming into past Sentai teams, and of course guest stars from past Sentais. Among the previous seasons to use nostalgia, Gokaiger has IMO handled it the best. The Gokaigers use the previous Sentai powers for better match-ups against the MOTW and the past hero guest stars are usually there mostly to develop the Gokaiger characters and thus don't steal the spotlight.

Sentai's Handling of Multiple Villain Groups

Note: Images from Super Sentai Images

One of the complaints that some Sentai fans have about Goseiger is the multiple villain groups. Personally, I don't have a problem with it nor with Bladeron staying throughout the season. It does keep the story fresh and moving. It's been done before in Sentai, actually. The problem is how they handled the use of the multiple villain groups. Here, I'll analyze how three different Sentai series, Magiranger, Boukenger, and Goseiger, handled having multiple villain groups.

Magiranger

Magiranger was arguably in this category, with three groups or commanders of Infershia: Branken, Meemy, and the Hades Gods of Infershia. Similarly to Goseiger, they all came one after another. After one was killed off, another would step to the plate. However, unlike Goseiger, all these villain groups belonged to the same organization, Infershia, under the control of N Ma. They all worked to revive N Ma to conquer the world. Also, Wolzard and Vancuria/Nae & Mae were constant throughout the season. Since the three different villainous groups/commanders in Magiranger belonged to the same organization and had an overarching villain, transitions from one villain or villain group was smooth and there was no early climax. Also, Wolzard imo is one of Sentai's best generals, and had an interesting rivalry with Kai. Among the three villain groups I thought Branken was ok. He wasn't a good villain or a bad villain, but descent enough to start out. Meemy I felt was the second most interesting villain in the series behind Wolzard. Meemy was a former Heavenly Saint who was also a traitor. I liked most of the Hades Gods, especially Sphinx and Titan. The only one I didn't really like all that much was Toad. So overall, all the villain groups in Magiranger were pretty solid. I think Magiranger handled the multiple villain groups really well.

Boukenger

Boukenger like Goseiger and unlike Magiranger had multiple villain groups that were not connected through the same organization nor had an overarching villain. However, unlike both Magiranger and Goseiger, these four villain groups didn't come one and go after another was defeated. Instead, they were all constant throughout the entire season. The Boukengers would fight them in separate episodes and sometimes these villain groups would team-up. None of them were killed early in the season and thus there weren't any early climaxes. The villain groups were the Gordom Civilization lead by Gaja, the Jaryuu Tribe led by Ryuoun, the Ashu/Questers, and Dark Shadow. What made it interesting is they all had different motives. Gaja and Ryuoun each wanted to conquer the world, the Questers were human hating demons, and Dark Shadow was a ninja clan that was more interested in making money off of the precious' they stoled. Among them, Gaja was probably my least favorite. He wasn't a bad villain he just felt kinda bland and stiff, and I felt it was anti-climatic in the final battle when he went back to sleep and seemingly gave up. Ryuoun was awesome and had an interesting backstory that really developed his character. The Questers were even more badass than Ryuoun and had a history with Eiji. Dark Shadow was refreshing because they weren't bent on conquering humanity like the other groups, they were money-driven instead. Yaiba was the most interesting of the group, eventually betraying Dark Shadow. Shizuka was the one in Dark Shadow that didn't have much backstory or development, but I kinda liked her somewhat childish behavior. What really made having multiple villain groups at once interesting was that all the Boukengers except for Natsuki had a villainous rival. Satoru's rival was Ryuoun. Eiji's rivals were the Questers, especially Gai who killed his father. Masumi's rival was Yaiba. Sakura and Souta were both rivals with Shizuka. Like Magiranger I felt Boukenger handled the multiple villain groups really well and arguably better than Magiranger.

Goseiger

Then we have Goseiger. Like Magiranger, Goseiger's three villain groups (Warstar, Yuumajuu Beast, and Matrintis Empire) all came one after the other was defeated. Unlike Magiranger, however, there was no overarching villain or organization connecting the three groups. However, there was one constant villain, Bladeron. Bladeron was the most interesting villain on Goseiger who like Meemy, was a traitor and a rogue Gosei Angel. One of the big problems with how the multiple villain groups were handled in Goseiger was early climaxes, with the most obvious example being Warstar. Through the first 11 episodes, Warstar does nothing and felt rather bland and boring. There were hints of a rivalry between Alata and Dereputa, but Dereputa was killed off initially in episode 12 and for good in episode 16. As a result the rivalry went nowhere and Dereputa came off as wasted potential. Similarly, Warstar's Big Bad Mons Drake also came off as wasted potential. After Dereputa was initially thought to be killed off in episode 12, Mons Drake got desperate and made the show interesting briefly. However, Mons Drake was killed off in episode 15, which was another early climax and a big disappointment. This also didn't help with audiences since there weren't hints of Goseiger having multiple villain groups after Mons Drake. However, the worst part was to come, with the Yuumajuu Beasts. The Yuumajuu Beasts are easily one of the worst villain groups in Sentai. The Yuumajuu Beasts were pollution-driven villains, which I really despise. I'm a bit biased here but having pollution driven villains imo really feels so anti-climatic, uninteresting, and non-threatening. This was made worst with a really preachy 6th ranger, Gosei Knight. Some fans complain that the Green Aesop in Go-Onger was overt and preachy, but it was nothing compared to the combination of the Yuumajuu Beast and Gosei Knight. Not to mention the designs I felt were terrible. The Yuumajuu Beasts were killed off after episode 32, but this time it didn't feel so rushed or like a premature climax. However, that's because you could naturally expect it to happen after Warstar being killed off so early in the season. Then finally the last villain group was the Matrintis Empire, a robotic empire that first appeared in Episode 33 after the change of producers. I actually liked the Matrintis Empire. Among the three Goseiger villain groups they were the most interesting and had the most effort put into them. They went back to the old conquering humanity motive, but I felt like they were the only legitimate villains in Goseiger besides Bladeron that felt like a threat. Unlike the other Goseiger villains (and many Sentai villains for that matter), they scouted the Goseigers, strategized, and collected data. They actually did their homework. Robogogu had a mildly interesting backstory of being a former mad scientist, while Metal-Alice felt like a throwback to Sphinx of Magiranger. However, she didn't feel so much like a throwback that she came off as a rip-off. She seemed interested in the idea of having comrades, but mostly because she was abused and unappreciated by Robogogu. And unlike Sphinx she didn't turn good in the end, but was killed off by Bladeron.

Having multiple villain groups without an overarching big bad could have worked in Goseiger if it was better handled. Overall, Goseiger's handling of the multiple villain groups was easily the worst. Transitions often felt rushed, and the Yuumajuu arc was really the jump the shark moment of Goseiger, even more disappointing because it covered the entire middle portion of the series and after it briefly became interesting for a few episodes. However, I think there's also a clear difference in the Matrintis Empire, who came right after the change of producers. I felt that wasn't a coincidence either.