Super Sentai Ranking

[cypsiman2]

At this point I have now seen 20 Super Sentai from beginning to end and so I've decided to rank them up, going from least favorite to most favorite, and I would like to stress that every series on this list has something going for it and even if some were disappointing, they still had aspects to them that made watching them worthwhile. Also, there are going to be spoilers, though I did try not to give too much away.

20. Engine Sentai Go-onger (2008-09)
Summary: The Three Ministers of the Gaiark Machine clan flee the Engine World and decide to try and conquer our world, the Human World. However, three heroic Engines, which look like talking animal cars, are in hot pursuit and partner themselves with three humans who leaped at the call to heroism. As time passes, more engines arrive and partner themselves to more humans, and through it all a very silly slapstick atmosphere is maintained, barring certain exceptions here and there.

Heroes: In addition to the human heroes, there are also the Engines which have their own personalities and can talk and even project little anime holograms of themselves to better express themselves, which means that we end up with almost twenty heroes before the end; naturally this means that each character is going to be fairly flat and two-dimensional as there just isn’t time to focus on everyone and keep the show going at the same time (1 point). However, that said all the characters are pleasant and fun to which with plenty of fun foibles to them (3 points). The strongest point to the characters are the partnerships between the humans and the engines, which is done very well and thus helps make the ever increasingly unwieldy giant mecha formations feel more meaningful (2 points).

Final Count: 6 points.

Villains: The villains here are complete screwballs that you just can’t take seriously, regardless of how dangerous any given scheme they might come up with actually is; this is not a bad thing though, because they are genuinely funny and you do get attached to them and can even feel sorry for them when their time comes (3 points). The big bad, while suitably powerful and fearsome, pretty much comes right out of nowhere near the end and so is a bit boring next to his much more colorful followers (1 point).

Final count: 4 points.

Supporting: In terms of recurring support, there is the robot buddy Bomper, who’s just okay, he does his job and that’s about it (1 point). However, there are a goodly amount of one-shot characters who manage to be very fun and entertaining in their episodes; my favorite was this yakuza boss who was so intimidating that even the Gaiark were afraid of him, which is just hilarious to me (2 points).

Final count: 3 points.

Story: The story is very light in tone and generally has all the substance of cotton candy, but at the same time it is very well paced with a strong balance between episodic filler and story moving episodes (2 points). Furthermore, the story does manage to have some moving moments to it, especially the summer movie which ends on a bitter-sweet note which is very rare for even the more serious sentais (2 points).

Final count: 4 points.

Worldbuilding: As with the story in general, the world building is deliberately quite silly; there are 11 parallel dimensions including the Human World and the Engine World; of those worlds, our heroes get to visit the Samurai, Junk, and Christmas worlds, while beings and objects from the Magic, Sound, and Stormy worlds impinge on ours on occasion. Ultimately, the show makes good use of its setting and we do learn a fair amount about the larger pan-dimensional struggle.

Final count: 3 points.

Cinematography: The effects are pretty good, particularly the hologram projections for the engines (2 points). The ground fight scenes are okay, and the mecha fights are pretty good due to the partnership factor that I’d highlighted above (2 points)

Final count: 4 points

Costumes: The suits are done up like racecar outfits for the main five, complete with harness straps over the chest, while Miu and Hiroto have fighter-pilot style suits; it works but it’s not all that appealing to me (1 point). The monster suits are all very goofy and cartoony looking which is again fitting to the series, but again I don’t much care for it (1 point)

Final count: 2 points

Music: There are lots and lots and lots of remixes of the ending theme, and there are two episodes where the characters form idol groups to sing and dance with, and it’s all pretty easy on the ears (2 points). I can’t recall any moments where the background music was used to any particular effect though (0 points).

Final count: 2 points.

Final Score: 28

19. Hyakuju Sentai Gaoranger (2001-02)

Summary: One thousand years ago, Orgs, spirits of malice and hate, tried to destroy the world, but with the support of the Power Animals, the warriors of that time were able to seal them away. Now the Orgs are returning and a new generation of warriors, the Gaorangers, must be gathered to defeat the Orgs once and for all and protect the Earth’s harmony forever.
Heroes: The main cast is functional and pleasant enough, but there’s not really any depth or development to them (1 point); they each get one good backstory episode each and that’s about it (2 points), and it really is telling that they refer to each other by their colors than by their actual names, the way a small child would likely do anyway (0 points). There is an exception with the sixth ranger Gao Silver, who manages to have some depth and development to his character (2 points)

Final count: 5 points

Villains: Over the course of the series there are four big bads, each taken out one after the other; the first is bland, the third is just silly, the fourth has hardly any screentime at all, but the second is just right, conniving and scheming and dangerous and powerful in just the right measures (2 points). The main recurring villains, Tsue-Tsue and Yabaiba, start off serious but by the time the second big bad arrives they are solidly comic relief and are great at it (3 points). Finally, there’s Rouki, who’s the cool dangerous enemy with a mysterious past, his story works out exactly how you think it would (1 point).

Final count: 6 points

Supporting: The one-shot characters are okay but nothing special, doing their job and taking off when no longer needed (0 points). Tetom the priestess is a really good mentor; she’s knowledgeable, she’s supportive, and she’s very quirky and odd, she never operates on quite the same level as everyone else, which makes sense given that she is over 1000 years old, she’s just a tone of fun (3 points). Periodically throughout the series GaoGod appears in spirit to help the team, and eventually regains his body and assumes the form of a human child to more closely watch the team; the execution here is iffy, but I feel that what he does and why holds water (2 points).

Final count: 5 points

Story: The story has some good moments here and there, but by and large it’s an excuse plot to introduce new Power Animals so that the kids know to go out to the store and buy the latest toys; though admittedly the stories introducing the new Power Animals are typically well done (2 points). Furthermore, there is a good sense of rising and falling action within each arc, so the pacing works well (2 points). The bigger problem is the narrator who just does not shut up and over explains every plot point and development as it happens, violating the “show, don’t tell” rule at every turn (-1 point).

Final count: 3 point

Worldbuilding: The world building is focused on the Power Animals and where the Orgs come from exactly, and for the most part its decent stuff, nothing exceptional (1 point).

Final count: 1 point.

Cinematography: The characters fight appropriately given their animal associations, and the finishing move of combining the individual weapons to form a giant sword, instead of a bazooka, is a unique one that I greatly enjoy (2 points). Being that they are the main focus of the show, the mecha fights are very well done and do a good job of showcasing the different functions of each Power Animal and why you would use one over another in any given situation (2 points).

Final count: 4 points

Costumes: The suits for the Gaorangers have an interesting feature to them, golden bands across the chest from the right shoulder to the left side of the chest, and the number of divisions in each band is determined by something I’ve never been able to quite figure out (2 points). The org designs are very good, particularly Rouki’s, looking both threatening and odd as needed (2 points).

Final count: 4 points

Music: The music was for the most part decent, though there was one episode where Tetom and Gao Silver had to sing a song to befriend one of the Power Animals and it was a very nice song, which integrated the music into the story a bit (2 points).

Final count: 2 points.

Final Score: 30

18. Tensou Sentai Goseiger (2010-11)

Summary: When the Warstar Space Empire arrives on Earth, their first target is the Tower of Heaven, an upside down spire that connects our world to the Gosei World and the Gosei Angels who protect us; however, five young angels-in-training were already on Earth and so they take it upon themselves to defend us despite their inexperience. Eventually the Warstar forces are defeated, but new enemies, the Yuumaju and then the Matrintis, arise to threaten the peace and ultimately the mastermind behind everything reveals himself and his true nefarious goals, putting our heroes to the ultimate test.

Heroes: Alata starts off weak and lacking in presence, but over the course of the series he develops a very unique sort of red ranger, very cool and chillax and utterly self-assured without having to put on airs of being a badass or anything like that (3 points). Eri is a fun character and she tends to get a lot of good episodes (2 points). Hyde, Moune, and Agri don’t do nearly so well, mostly Agri who is just bland and undefined and his actor is so bad even I can pick up on it (1 point). Gosei Knight had a lot of potential to start, but most of that was wasted and his development ended up being repetitive (1 point)

Final count: 7 points.

Villains: The Warstar and the Yuumaju both make for lackluster villains with only the occasional bright spots to them, they’re neither interesting nor threatening (1 point). The Matrintis are much better with a history and dynamic that is well explored (2 points). Finally, the big bad behind it all, he is great, the reveals are done very well and are well paced, resulting in a satisfying final confrontation (3 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Supporting: Nozomu, the team’s secret keeper, is one of the better child characters in Super Sentai, being mature while still plausible as a kid (1 point). His father Professor Amachi is just a big friendly doof where you wonder why the Goseigers don’t just let him in on their secret (1 point). Datas the robot buddy is a walking talking Dice-O arcade machine which is just so crassly merchandise driven and unexplained in the narrative that it just really drags things down, and the mentor Master Head just doesn’t have enough presence in the series to do much more than just drop exposition as needed (0 points)

Final count: 2 points.

Story: Despite a promising premise, the actual story for the show is weak and riddled with tons of stock filler episodes; frequently during the Warstar arc new mecha will be introduced as awkwardly and ungainly as possible, in one case completely derailing what had otherwise been a really good Eri episode (1 point). The Yuumaju starts off okay, but quickly drops into filler hell and shies away from the more interesting aspects of the arc almost immediately (0 points). Once the Matrintis arc starts, things suddenly get a lot better and stay that way throughout its run, even if it’s not enough to compensate for the tedium of what came before (2 points). Finally, endgame where the big bad is confronted is pretty good, but it also could have been a lot better just tightening up a few things here or there (2 points).

Story: 5 points.

Worldbuilding: We only ever get the tiniest of snippets to the history and nature of the Gosei World, what being a Gosei Angel actually means, and how the villains all tie into it, since as mentioned earlier so much time is spent on stock filler (2 points).

Final count: 2 points.

Cinematography: Goseiger is undeniably a very pretty show to look at with lots of bright flashy special effects (2 points). Ground fights are okay, and the mecha fights are pretty good, though that’s mostly when marketing can restrain itself and not attach ten billion robot heads to the mecha at the same time (2 points).

Final count: 4 points.

Costumes: The Goseiger suits have a very “Flash Gordon” aesthetic to them, which fits with the overall B-movie atmosphere of the series and just generally looks really nice, but the Super Goseiger suits are ugly due to how they have giant robot animal heads sticking out of the chest in a very ungainly fashion (2 points). The monster suits are all very well put together, with the Big Bad getting the best one as well he should (3 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Music: The music is okay, there are some good insert tracks and the Big Bad’s theme is very appropriate, but it’s nothing memorable or particularly well used (2 points).

Final count: 2 points.

Final Score: 33

17. Choudenshi Bioman (1984-85)

Summary: 500 years ago the Bio Robo arrived on Earth and showered five young people with Bio Particles, infusing them with special powers; now, in the present day, the evil Dr. Man, leader of the Neo Empire Gear, strives to conquer the Earth. Peebo, Bio Robo’s partner, seeks out the descendants of those who’d originally been infused with Bio Particles so as to prevent the Earth from falling victim to the Bio Star’s fate.

Heroes: Choudenshi Bioman was the first sentai to have two female warriors in its roster (3 points). It was also very clear from the start that the writers had big plans in mind for Mika/Yellow Four, getting the first character focus episodes and the first really badass moments in the series; however, after episode 9 Mika’s actress disappeared and to this day no one knows what happened, but the writers were forced to act quickly and thus killed Mika off so that they could bring in a new Yellow Four…who ended up being even more badass and amazing than Mika had been (3 points). Hikaru was also pretty good, Go was okay, and the other two just kind of blurred together (2 points).

Final count: 8 points.

Villains: Dr. Man is one of the more intriguing big bads in Super Sentai, his history and ambition slowly revealed over the course of the series (3 points). Late in the series another enemy arrives, the Bio Hunter Silver, and he is supremely badass and dangerous and fearsome (3 points). Sadly, the rest of the villainous roster is lacking, they’re all one note growlers with no depth or real menace to them (0 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Supporting: Peebo makes for a very interesting mentor to the team, because he’s not presented as being wise and all-knowing, merely more knowledgeable about the nature and history behind the Bio Particles and the powers they grant; as such, this enables a more even bond with the team and even character growth for Peebo, particularly when Bio Hunter Silver arrives (3 points). Also, while he doesn’t show up very often, we do meet Dr. Man’s son and he does end up playing a vital role in the finale, he’s pretty okay (1 point). Finally, there’s this one guy, Shota Yamamori who was teased as a potential sixth Bioman and he totally should have been, he had tons of personality, a shame that (1 point).

Final count: 5 points.

Story: Choudenshi Bioman is a very episodic series, but to its credits most of the individual plots are fun to watch (1 point). The storyline surrounding Dr. Man’s history and family could have been done a little better, but on the whole had a satisfactory and unique payoff (2 points). Bio Hunter Silver was definitely a welcome addition and his presence gave the remaining episodes an added boost needed for the endgame (2 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Worldbuilding: The history of the Bio Star is an intriguing one that is gone into with moderate depth (2 points).

Final count: 2 points

Cinematography: The effects are of course primitive but are done with plenty of heart behind them (1 point). The most interesting aspect about the fight scenes though is how the team has access to a multitude of finishing moves, both on the ground and in the giant robot fight, which makes those scenes that much more fun to watch (3 points).

Final count: 4 points

Costumes: The Bioman suits are okay, they just feel like a first draft to me and could have stood a bit more polish before being made (1 point). Dr. Man has a great aesthetic to him, and his minions are also well put together as well; plus, the monster of the week is always giant sized rather than being a human sized monster that gets grown into something bigger after being beaten, so the designs work better for the giant robot fights than they usually do (3 points).

Final count: 4 points.

Music: Aside from the opening theme and Bio Hunter Silver’s theme, I can’t recall a single other bit of music, just no real impact there (1 point).

Final count: 1 point

Final Score: 35

16. Hikari Sentai Maskman (1987-88)

Summary: Emperor Zeba of the Tube underground empire has begun his invasion of the surface, intent on turning it into a dark and cold realm for him to live in; however, Chief Sugata anticipated this and gathered five skilled martial artists to form the Light Squadron Maskman. However, it also turns out that Takeru/Red Masks’s girlfriend Mio is none other than the Princess Iyal who’d been sent to the surface as a spy; she betrays her mission to try and protect Takeru and is thus recaptured and sealed in a block of ice for all eternity. Thus, our heroes battle for the sake of peace above and below.

Heroes: Akira is easily the best character in the show, his episodes are always the best and they build upon one another (3 points). Momoko and Haruka are fairly well done and get plenty of good strong moments in the series (2 points). Takeru and Kenta are boring; Kenta has hardly any character at all while Takeru is just boring (0 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Villains: Prince Igam is well done with a great deal of conflict driving him, making episodes where he’s leading the villainous plot that much more interesting, and the relationship he has with his ninja minion Fu-Min is also nice (3 points). Baraba gets one good episode but for the most part is pretty boring, while his ninja Oya-Bu is pretty cool (2 points). Anagamas is okay, he comes up with nice schemes every now and then but nothing special (1 point). Kiros the Thief Knight is boring and uninteresting, Okelampa is just a tired running gag, and Zeba’s just okay as a big bad (1 point).

Final count: 7 points.

Supporting: Commander Sugata is a lousy mentor, he doesn’t even start teaching the team about Aura Power until after the Tube Empire begins its invasion despite this knowledge and training being essential to their victory. Plus, he’s just not interesting as a character (0 points). There are no other recurring supporting characters and none of the one-shot characters were memorable, save for Baraba’s mother Lalaba, who had the incalculable advantage of being played by Machiko Soga (1 point)

Final count: 1 point.

Story: The overarching story for the series is boring; the emotional core for it all is supposed to be the forbidden love between Takeru and Princess Iyal, yet it is poorly developed and thus difficult to become emotionally invested in. It doesn’t help matters that the ending tries to keep them apart for bittersweet tragedy, despite the fact that there really isn’t anything to keep them apart at that point (0 points). There is also a running plot about the mystery behind Emperor Zeba’s rise, and while it does have a decent payoff and ties together, it is poorly paced and feels more complicated than it has to be (1 point). The show is at its most interesting when it focuses on the effects that Zeba’s tyranny has had on the previously peaceful Tube empire, so it does have that going for it (1 point). There is however a lot of episodic filler that doesn’t go anywhere and really slows stuff down (0 points).

Final count: 2 points.

World building: The background of the Tube empire is well put together and the pieces fit together nicely, creating the feeling of a cohesive underground world (3 points). The overworld is not nearly so well done; granted, it is our world, but it has very little character of its own and its intersections with the Underground have more than a few logistical issues. (1 point)

Final count: 4 points.

Cinematography: The effects are of course dated but are well done with that context in mind (2 points). Fight scenes are well composed, though moreso on the ground than in the giant robot fights, as there’s only one occasion where anything interesting happens at the giant level (2 points). Finally, there are a lot of very well done artistic shots, though granted a lot of those are repeated over and over again (2 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Costumes: The maskman suits are very nice, sleek and efficient with good color balances and helmet designs (3 points). The first few monsters of the week have an interesting gimmick where they’re really 2 monsters in one, but that gets abandoned early on, so the monsters for the most part aren’t anything special, and the outfit they have Emperor Zeba wearing is just so ridiculously overburdened and gaudy that it’s just…ugh (1 point).

Final count: 4 points

Music: The music is very well done, especially the opening theme sung by Hironobu Kageyama (4 points). Furthermore, it is well timed and utilized throughout the series, helping the mood of any given scene significantly (3 points)

Final count: 7 points

Final Score: 36

15. Choujin Sentai Jetman (1991-92)

Summary: The international army Skyforce has chosen five of its best members to receive an infusion of “birdonic waves” to make them super human; unfortunately, just as Ryu finishes getting his infusion, the Interdimensional War Party Vyram arrives and wrecks everything, resulting in the remaining Birdonic Waves ending up in four random civilians. In the wake of this devastation, the casualties including his lover Rie, Ryu must pull himself together and try to lead a ragtag group of misfits to defend the Earth. Also, many aspects of the show are tributes to the classic Science Ninja Team Gatchaman.

Heroes: Ryu the Red Hawk is an amazing Red Ranger; he is strong and badass and focused, but he’s also dealing with all this grief about his lost love Rie, which keeps him human (3 points). Kaori the White Swan is also great, a pampered rich girl who joins on a lark but ends up growing up and becoming really badass herself (3 points). Ako the Blue Swallow is wonderful, a high school girl with her on the bottom line at all times, her growth as a person is also really good (3 points). Raita the Yellow Owl is usually played for laughs, but he’s also a good dude with some nice moments (2 points). And then there’s Gai the Black Condor…I hate Gai, he is a huge drag on the show, he spends so much of the series just being this giant colossal tool that even when he’s a decent human being I just can’t enjoy it, and by the time he’s finally done being a horrible excuse for a human being, the show’s almost over (-3 points).

Final count: 8 points

Villains: The Vyram are definitely very threatening villains and regularly make effective blows against our heroes (2 points). The conflict between them does keep things exciting, but at times it gets ridiculous as they keep getting in each other’s way right when one of them is on the cusp of victory (2 points). In particular, Radiguet is the most frequent offender; sure, he’s nasty and easy to hate, but when you count up all the times he ends up saving the Jetman team just to screw over one of his fellow Vyram, you realize he’s actually their greatest ally (1 point).

Final count: 5 points.

Supporting: Chief Aya Odagiri is awesome, she is one of the best mentors ever, stern and focused and does not put up with shit at all (4 points). The guest and one-shot characters are also quite good, each contributing to the overall story well (2 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Story: There are two sides to the story for Jetman; there’s the good side with a lot of great drama and humor and character development and pacing and creativity (5 points)…and then there’s the love triangle, which is just so horrifically awful and painful to get through and it ties itself inseparably to the good parts of the series so you can’t easily jettison it (-3 points). Then there’s the ending; the first half of the final episode is awesome and amazing (3 points), but then there’s the epilogue which is just so full of stupid and dumb that it defies belief (-2 points).

Final count: 3 points.

Worldbuilding: We get a very good sense of the scale of the devastation that the Vyram have wrought throughout the universe (3 points), and the unique history of the Jetman earth is also delved into a bit (1 point)

Final count: 4 points.

Cinematography: The effects are really good for the time, very ambitious and well done (3 points). The fight scenes and camera work are also really good with a great eye on artistic detail (4 points).

Final count: 7 points.

Costumes: The Jetman suits are not ones I particularly care for, save for whenever they bring out the wings (1 point). The designs for the Vyram are much better, though it’s not until the latter half of the series that the Monsters of the Week start getting better designs (2 points).

Final count: 3 points.

Music: The score is very good and is used well (4 points).

Final count: 4 points.

Final Score: 40

14. Gogo Sentai Boukenger (2006-07)

Summary: There exist historical artifacts known as “Precious” which possess powers beyond anything modern science can duplicate; as such, there are several criminal organizations known as Negative Syndicates that seek these Precious to use for their own nefarious purposes. To counter this threat, the Search Guard Successor, or SGS, organization dispatches the Boukengers to recover the Precious and keep them out of the hands of evil.

Heroes: Akashi is a wonderful parody of the typical “serious 80’s red”; he’s good on the job, but pretty much fails at everything outside of that and is routinely mocked for it (3 points). Sakura is absolutely amazing, she is basically Mai from Avatar: The Last Airbender (4 points). Natsuki is also good, having one of the more significant long running sub-plots for the series and she does get some good development out of it (2 points). Masumi is an okay rival for Akashi, but I like him more for his relationship with Natsuki (1 point). Souta isn’t delved into very much, and from what little we see of his past as a spy, there’s kind of a reason for that (1 point). Eiji is a solid sixth ranger, he’s got a fun character and a good character arc (2 points).

Final count: 13 points

Villains: There are four Negative Syndicates that the Boukengers have to deal with, each with their own attitudes, methods, and goals. First up is the Godom Civilization led by the High Priest Gajah who seeks to resurrect his long dead empire; he’s okay, but he’s hard to take seriously given his weird way of talking (1 point). Then there’s the Jaryuu tribe led by Ryuwon who seeks to wipe out humanity and replace them with his own kind; he manages to be the most engaging of the villains (2 points). Third is the Dark Shadow ninjas who seek the precious to sell them at a profit; they’re mostly the comic relief villains, save for Yami no Yaiba whose ambitions and connection to Masumi are a bit more dangerous (2 points). Finally, there are the Questers, Eiji’s personal enemies; they’re just a load of fun (2 points).

Final count: 7 points

Supporting: There isn’t much of a supporting cast; there’s Makino the mechanic who works on the team’s mecha and Mr. Voice the mission control who hands out missions, but neither of them are very interesting, save for right near the end (1 point).

Final count: 1 point

Story: Boukenger is a highly episodic series with multiple sub-plots that come and go at the whim of the writers, all of which are pretty good (2 points). There are two episodes in particular though that I absolutely love; episode 26 is basically Revolutionary Girl Utena condensed into 24 minutes, while 27 is the most hilarious thing ever (3 points).

Final count: 5 points

Worldbuilding: Boukenger is the 30th anniversary series and so there are many, many, many references to previous sentais subtly threaded into the series through the designs of all the villains (2 points). Furthermore, many of the Precious featured in the series are based upon real world historical or mythological items, which helps to ground everything and make it feel that much more substantive (2 points).

Final count: 4 points.

Cinematography: The ground fight scenes are good but nothing special (2 points). The mecha scenes play out like refined versions of Gaoranger mecha battles and it’s fun to see the team mix and match various mecha configurations to defeat the monster at the end (3 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Costumes: The Boukenger suits are very good, they have a sturdy quality well suited to adventuring in unknown and dangerous situations (3 points). The designs on the villains are also very good, even apart from the aspect where they are all references to previous super sentai mecha (3 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Music: I really like the opening theme and there are some good tracks here and there (2 points).

Final count: 2 points.

Final Score: 43

13. Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger (2002-03)

Summary: It is graduation day at the Hayate Way Ninja Academy, and three slackers are slacking off and not attending…which is just as well, since this means that when the Jakanja space ninjas arrive and kill all the students, this means they get to survive and be chosen as the legendary heirs to the legacy of the Hurricangers. Things soon get complicated when the Gouraijers, brothers who were also honor students from the Ikazuchi ninja academy, show up and take the opportunity to avenge the indignities their school suffered at Hayate’s hands, and all the while the Jakanja continually strive to summon “that” to the Earth and use its ultimate power for their dark purposes.

Heroes: I really like the characters in this show, they all just clicked with me right away; the main trio has this really great chemistry together and they all get some good development here and there as they grow and mature (3 points). The Gouraijers were great rivals; they were more experienced and more powerful than our heroes but it just made me look forward to the moment when the Hurricangers would emerge victorious and humble them all the more, and once that time came their bond continued to grow and develop over the course of the rest of the series (3 points). Finally, Shurikenger is just really great; his main gimmick is that he’s always in disguise when not in the suit and so is always being played by a different Super Sentai actor when out and about, but over time his character gains a more serious edge as we learn more about him, which I think is just great (3 points).

Final count: 9 points

Villains: The villains are solid: Chuzubo and Sargain are both very similar disposition, the former focusing more on the mystical while Sargain focuses on the mechanical side being ninjas and they both manage to be an effective threat to our heroes (1 point). Manmaruba is really nice, very heavy on the mystical side of things, poisoning one hero with a fatal poison and prepares a clone of himself after foreseeing his own death, very effective (3 points). Satarakura and Sandaaru are also pretty good, each making significant blows against our heroes and entertaining in their own ways (2 points). Wendinu and Furabijo get a couple good episodes here and there, but are mostly just fanservice (1 point). Tau Zant, the big bad, is just boring, nothing going for him and he actually goes down pretty easy (0 points).

Final count: 7 points.

Supporting: Mugensai is the mentor who at the start of the series accidentally turns himself into a gerbil and can’t change back, thus saving on keeping the human actor around; seriously though, he’s a pretty good mentor and they get some good jokes at his expense in moderation so it doesn’t get too old (2 points). His daughter Oboro is the mind behind the mecha and their maintenance and she has a good dynamic with her father, so she’s a fun character too (2 points). Finally, late in the series the mysterious Gozen-sama arrives, carrying with them the secrets of the origins of ninjutsu, the divide between the schools, practically everything, and Gozen-sama actually gets some nice development as well (2 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Story: The story has an even structure and pacing with a good flow of rising and falling action which ensures that everything happens with the greatest impact possible (2 points). Sometimes the story can get really dark, like when Ikkou deliberately drives himself insane so that his brother Isshou will be forced to put him down the way their father wanted, and sometimes the story can get really goofy, like when Isshou is enchanted to fall in love with Nanami and tries to give her a cow, and it does all these different things well (2 points). Finally, the final battle is one of the more interesting and creative ones I’ve seen thus far and really makes things feel like we’ve come a long way (2 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Worldbuilding: One of the neat things that Hurricanger does is that it will introduce something as a joke, only to turn it on its head and into something serious later on; it’s a narrative move that I’m a big fan of (2 points). Overall, we get a good sense of the Hurricanger world and how it differs from ours, but nothing all that deep (1 point)
Final count: 3 points.

Cinematography: I love the transformation sequences, they are poetry in motion (3 points). Fight scenes are also creative, both on the ground and in the mecha (2 points)
Final count: 5 points

Costumes: I really like the costumes, they’ve got a good sense of aesthetic appeal and utility to them, and I really like how the Hurricanger faceplates can open up (3 points). The designs for the main villains, but the monsters of the week are pretty hit and miss (2 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Music: The opening theme and the transformation themes are all quite good, with the rest being serviceable (3 points), and no moments I can recall where the music was particularly well used (0 points).

Final count: 3 points

Final Score: 44

12. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger (2011-12)

Summary: When the Zangyack Space Empire invaded the Earth, their sheer might they brought to bear forced every Super Sentai to band together and sacrifice their powers to save their Earth. Time passes, and a new invasion force arrives, led by the idiot son of the Zangyack Emperor; at the same time though, the Gokaigers arrive in search of the Greatest Treasure in the Universe, and if the Zangyack get in their way, then it’s going to suck for the Zangyack. Oh, and they also have to meet up with the past Super Sentai alumni to get their ultimate powers and can use the Ranger Keys to become any Super Sentai warrior they want to be.
Heroes: Captain Marvelous is a fun guy, the right balance of cocky and relaxed about things (2 points). Joe the swordsman is pretty cool too, and he’s got a good subplot with a nice resolution (2 points). Don is hysterical, he is always doing something to make me laugh my ass off (3 points). Luka is the tomboy thief with her eye on the bottom line, she’s a good character too (2 points). Ahim the princess is wonderful, so very polite and composed even as she is kicking your ass 20 ways from Sunday (3 points). Gai Ikari is the most appropriate sixth ranger for an anniversary season, a super sentai fanboy who knows everything about everything in sentai and is even played by a real super sentai fanboy to boot (3 points).

Final count: 15 points.

Villains: The Zangyack start off promising, but it isn’t long before they all become a big disappointment, generally only getting to do stuff when they’re about to die (1 point). Basco, the privateer and rival to Marvelous, is a great villain, very active, and if they could have figured out a way for him to have taken over the Zangyack empire, that would have been so great (4 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Supporting: Navi the robot parrot is an amusing team pet and he does serve an important role for the team, helping them to track down the various Super Sentai warriors they have to meet up with to gain their ultimate powers (2 points). For the most part, sentai alumni comprise the majority of one-shot characters and they are largely used very well (2 points).

Final count: 4 points.

Story: The story is largely an excuse plot to facilitate the sentai alumni appearences and to showcase the gokai changes (1 point). That said, the excuse plot does work and there are some genuinely good moments to the story, even if the pacing is a bit wonky (2 points). Also, whenever a tribute episode to one of the previous super sentai’s is done, the episode is done in the style of that series, which is very nice (3 points).

Final count: 6 points

Worldbuilding: Given that each Super Sentai was written and conceived independently of each other, positing a world in which each and every Super Sentai happened would result in huge honking plot holes and contradictions; Gokaiger opts to completely ignore all this and just have fun with the premise (1 point). The unique elements of the Gokaiger are pretty well done though (2 points).

Final count: 3 points

Cinematography: The Gokai Changes are a thing of beauty, well timed, executed and more often than not done with attention to theme (3 points). Even without the Gokai Changes, the fight scenes on the ground are great with each characters distinct fighting style and body language coming out full force (3 points). Sadly, the Mecha fights become very lackluster in the middle portion of the series and rarely ever exhibit the sort of creativity the ground fights possess (1 point).

Final count: 7 points.

Costumes: The Gokaiger suits are great, they just look really good and are great to see in action (3 points). The villain designs are mixed and never come together for me, even if some of them look good on their own (1 point). The mecha do look nice for the most part (1 point).

Final count: 5 points.

Music: The soundtrack is another very good one with a strong opening and a “pokerap” style ending theme (3 points). There is also a really good insert song used with Luka and Ahim’s climactic episodes that I just love (3 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Final Score: 51

11. Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger (2004-05)

Summary: Aliens walk among us, and in the open to boot. For the most part the aliens have peacefully integrated themselves into our society, but there are those designated as “Alienizers” who think the Earth would be a swell place for their criminal conspiracies. Fortunately, the Dekarangers are always on duty to stop them and render the judgment sent down from the highest court in the universe.

Heroes: Ban is the fiery cowboy cop and is always screaming his head off; he’s okay (1 point). Hoji is the serious super perfectionist cop who’s always clashing with Ban; he’s also okay (1 point). Sen is the quirky genius cop whose gentle demeanor hides a lot of power; I really like him (3 points). Jasmine is the psychic cop with a dry sense of humor; I like her a lot too (3 points). Umeko is the ditzy girly girl cop; she’s fun and has a great relationship with Jasmine (2 points). Tetsu is the sixth ranger super elite; he gets some good growth over the series (2 points).

Final count: 12 points.

Villains: The only recurring villain throughout the series is the big bad Agent Abrella, an arms dealer who supplies the myriad Alienizers with whatever they need to commit their crimes; he’s not out to conquer or destroy, he just puts profit above the lives and safety of everyone in the entire universe, which is very different and I like it (3 points). The rest of the villains are suitably nasty and only sometimes have mass devastation in mind, which makes for some nice variation on plots (2 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Supporting: Doggie Kruger is amazing and super badass and he is just one of the best mentors ever and he is da chief and oh ma gah (4 points). Shiratori Swan is amazing and super badass and is just one of the best tech supporters and is a total sweetheart and oh ma gah (4 points).

Final count: 8 points.

Story: The series is another highly episodic one, since the Alienizers all operate independently of one another; even so, the individual stories are good (2 points), and the progression where Abrella gets more and more involved is well done (2 points).

Final count: 4 points.

Worldbuilding: One of the Alienizers runs an underground fight club; He is Durden of the Planet Tyler. I rest my case (4 points).

Final count: 4 points.

Cinematography: The fight scenes are good and cool, both on ground and in the mecha (2 points). There’s this one sequence where Tetsu questions an Alienizer who can teleport through reflective surfaces and so he has to do the whole thing with everything reflective covered up, including his eyes, which I just thought was a really well conceived and executed scene (2 points).

Final count: 4 points.

Costumes: I like how efficient the Dekaranger suits are, and how they have their number incorporated into the suit (2 points). The S.W.A.T. mode suits are amazing and have a variety of uses besides raw power (3 points). The Aliens and Alienizers all have good designs too (2 points).

Final count: 7 points.

Music: The soundtrack has a jazz theme that works out really well (3 points). Furthermore, the opening and ending theme are also really good (2 points). Finally, the insert song for the S.W.A.T. mode is really, really good (3 points).

Final count: 8 points.

Final Score: 52

10. Gosei Sentai Dairanger (1993-94)

Summary:6000 years ago, the Gohma and the Dai tribe went to war with one another, and if not for five Dai warriors with extremely high Ki-levels, the Gohma would have plunged the world into ruin. Now in the modern day, the Gohma have revived and so Master Kaku recruits five young people with similarly high Ki-levels to protect the world from devastation.

Heroes: Ryou, despite being the red ranger for the team, isn’t all that important; yeah, he gets everyone the combined mecha for the season and he does kill the big bad, but in between all he really gets is a subplot of no real consequence or interest. Still, he’s pretty badass and a good leader, so it’s not that bad (2 points). Daigo, by contrast, gets the lion’s share of focus with a personal subplot that strongly ties itself into the larger story of the series, and so he is a very strong and well developed character (3 points). Shoji and Kazu are good characters and get fun episodes, but they don’t really get any subplots or particular development of their own (2 points). Rin, the lone female ranger for the season, I would argue that she is the best developed and most important character in the whole team due to the strong connection she develops with the sixth ranger Kou (3 points). Speaking of Kou, his character and his arc are good, but there are huge chunks of the series where he just isn’t there at all, which diminishes his presence considerably (2 points).

Final count: 12 points

Villains: The villains start off pretty weak and generic and it’s not until Daigo’s subplot gets started that they start becoming interesting (0 points). Zydos, the brute of the bunch, is never interesting or all that relevant, he’s just there to fill space (0 points). Gara and Shadam, by contrast, are much more interesting and end up being richly developed and well tied into the story (5 points). The Gohma emperor is a very weird guy, you get the feeling that he’s supposed to be really inbred or something, but his scenes are always fun (1 point). Akomaru, Shadam’s son, is a truly nasty little brat, yet enough of that is the product of his father’s horrible abusive behavior towards him that in the end you can still feel bad for him (2 points). The Demon Boxer Jin is dull, dull, dull, not much better at all than Zydos and only good for the very occasional badass scene from Ryou (1 point). Finally, there are the three Gohma stooges, a trio of monsters so stupid and weak that they challenge the Dairangers to games like baseball or soccer rather than straight up fights, their episodes are always hilarious (2 points).

Final count: 11 points

Supporting: Master Kaku is a good mentor with an interesting story of his own, but he spends so much of the series being super aloof that I don’t have much emotional investment in him (1 point). Rin’s grandfather was a fun, if stereotypical dirty old man who provided the team with some very important equipment (1 point). Kujaku is a great vengeful anti-hero and her story with Daigo is really well done (3 points). Kameo is okay, but his existence involves a clumsy retcon and is often used as an exposition fairy (1 point).

Final count: 6 points.

Story: The story is well constructed with each episode contributing to the larger outcome in one way or another (2 points). Furthermore, there are good payoffs to most of the subplots, even the ones I didn’t much care for (2 points). However, near the ending a really bizarre plot twist takes place that I simply comprehend what the point of it was even supposed to be (-1 point). That said, Daijinryu’s introduction into the series was epic beyond words (3 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Worldbuilding: The backstory behind the Dairanger world is a good one with a fair amount of depth to it (3 points). The metaphysics in particular are interesting ones, if handled a bit confusedly near the end (2 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Cinematography: The heavy emphasis on Chinese martial arts leads to some great fight sequences for everyone, and each character has their own unique power, several of which are creative and original (4 points). The mecha fights are also good, save for when they bring in Daimugen, which thankfully isn’t too often; props in particular have to go to the Ryuseioh and Daijinryu, which are really well done and are definitely points of pride in the super sentai franchise (3 points).

Final count: 7 points

Costumes: The Dairanger suits are great, the helmets have this really fierce quality to them that makes them look powerful and imposing (3 points). The villain costumes are similarly great, strange and dangerous in equal measure (3 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Music: The soundtrack was one that had to grow on me, but I ended up liking it the way I do with the rest of the Super Sentai tracks that I’ve heard (2 points).

Final count: 2 points.

Final Score: 55

9. Samurai Sentai Shinkenger (2009-10)
Summary: Monsters known as the Gedoushu dwell in the Sanzu River, and enter our world through crevices. They bring suffering to humanity to make the Sanzu River swell until the boundary between worlds is broken and they can rampage freely in our world. Over the centuries the Shiba clan of Samurai has led several vassal families in battle against the Gedoushu and their dark master Chimatsuri Dokoku, and now that battle is about to resume, forcing the young lord Takeru to summon his followers to battle.

Heroes: Takeru is okay, but the show tries too hard to establish him as the super perfect badass lord; this is mostly near the beginning, but it’s not until he experiences his breakdown near the end that I can start really enjoying his character (2 points). Ryunosuke is hilarious, he is so theatrical and dramatic and serious about everything, I can’t help myself around this guy (2 points). Chiaki is not someone I care for, he acts very entitled and his rivalry with Takeru is kind of annoying, his relationship with Kotoha is his saving grace (1 point). Mako is a very strong character with a lot of heart and some really great moments (3 points). Kotoha is someone who appeals to me greatly, someone with low self-confidence and yet tries so hard to do her best for everyone and her moment when she finally realizes her true strength feels so good (3 points). Genta is, like Ryunosuke, hilarity incarnate, though his mostly comes from his actor having watched every Jim Carry movie fifty times each to learn how to mug the camera perfectly (2 points).

Final count: 13 points

Villains: Chimatsuri Dokoku is a lackluster big bad, he spends most of the series getting drunk and rarely comes up with plans or directs his monsters (1 point). Shitari, who’s just supposed to be the evil genius, does far more to lead and direct the monsters and even survives the end of the series (2 points). Dayu had potential and a great backstory, but the resolution vis a vis her rivalry with Mako was lackluster (1 point). Juzo is cool and intimidating, but he’s not a proper member of the Gedoushu hierarchy and ultimately he doesn’t do much other than occasionally fight Takeru (1 point). Finally, there’s Akumaro, he’s a really nasty villain and I kind of wish he’d been the big bad, simply because he’s so much more active and cruel in his plans than anyone else (2 points).

Final count: 7 points.

Supporting: Hikoma is a great mentor with a strong and unique bond with everyone (3 points). The Kuroko are also a lot of fun, taking care of all the little details that normally get glossed over (2 points). Dai Goyo, a talking lantern that Genta creates, is much better than he has any right to be (2 points). Finally, there is Lady Kaoru Shiba…she is so amazing, I do not even have words to describe her (4 points).

Final count: 11 points.

Story: The story has a strong beginning and a strong ending (3 points), but the middle portion ends up devolving into little more than an excuse to introduce more and more toys with little character or story movement (1 point).

Final count: 4 points.

Worldbuilding: The backstory for everything draws extensively on Japanese lore and mythology, much of which I am unfamiliar with; even so, it is grounded and solid (2 points). At the same time, they don’t go very deep into the history of the 18 generations of the Shiba clan, just the first and most recent generations (1 point).

Final count: 3 points.

Cinematography: Shinkenger has a very theatrical style to it which gives the dramatic blocking for any given scene an extra edge (2 points). The effects are good, as are the fight scenes (3 points). The mecha sequences are occasionally spiced up by the inclusion of giant mooks, but otherwise aren’t special (2 points).

Final count: 7 points.

Costumes: The Shinkenger suits are very nice and do a great job of looking like robes even though they are one-piece spandex suits (3 points). The designs on the Gedoushu are universally amazing, from the lowest Nanashi Renjuu to the big bad himself, they are works of art (4 points). The mecha suits unfortunately get progressively uglier the more they try to combine together (-1 point).

Final count: 6 points.

Music: The music is great throughout, from the opening to the ending to the transformation theme and everything in between (3 points). Extra credit has to go to a certain track that is played regularly during climactic character moments that is just amazing (3 points).

Final count: 6 points

Final Score: 57

8. Mirai Sentai Timeranger (2000-01)

Summary: In the year 3000, time travel has been developed and is carefully regulated by the time police to make sure that history is not altered; thus, when Don Dolnerro hijacks a prison full of cryogenically frozen criminals and goes back in time 1000 years, it is up to a group of bright eyed cadets to go after him. Naturally things go horribly wrong almost immediately, and the cadets are trapped in our time and forced to recruit a bored rich kid to help them out. What follows is a tale of fate and how far people will go to avoid theirs.

Heroes: This cast is one of the most tempered and even casts in Super Sentai, very grounded and subdued. Tatsuya starts off as a clueless privileged rich kid who sees being a Timeranger as a way of striking out on his own and sticking it to his over controlling father, but over time he grasps the reality of both his situation and the greater danger that the Timerangers have become a part of (4 points). Yuuri is the no-nonsense dead serious member who has a personal vendetta against Dolnerro for having had her entire family assassinated when she was a child, and in due course she warms up to the team as a whole and to Tatsuya in particular (4 points). Ayase is the cool guy who tries to avoid bonding with the others too much on account of his terminal disease, but with Tatsuya’s help he grows to embrace life, regardless of how limited it may be (4 points). Domon above all others misses the 30th century, having a large family back home and everything, but while in the past he finds himself in a very amusing and moving love plot with a camerawoman named Honami (4 points). Sion is an alien from the planet Hummard, which was destroyed shortly after he was born, and while he doesn’t have as much growth as the others, he’s still a very solid character (3 points). Finally, Naoto, the living antithesis to Tatsuya who challenges his privilege every step of the way, he is a loner who works independently from the rest of the team and his story has a very tragic, bittersweet ending (5 points).

Final count: 24 points

Villains: Don Dolnerro is very much your typical Mafia Don interested first, foremost, and last in the acquisition of more money; he’s actually a more interesting villain than that, but a lot of it is in the little things (2 points). Lira is of course his moll, and while she’s okay, she doesn’t get much resolution which dampens things a fair bit (1 point). Gien is the robot genius, and over time exhibits a mounting psychotic mania due to a tragic backstory that ties back to Dolnerro very well (3 points). Finally, near the end the Man Behind the Man is revealed, but his scheme really doesn’t add up very well and he’s too hands off to really be convincing (1 point).

Final count: 7 points

Supporting: T.A.C. the robot owl is the mission control for the team, and he actually does a very good job of it and has a fun personality (3 points). Honami’s another fun character and plays off Domon well (2 points). Tatsuya’s father is okay, but he doesn’t show up often enough for my taste (1 point).

Final count: 6 points

Story: The atmosphere is strong and consistent throughout and the themes of the series are well expressed (3 points). Unfortunately, the pacing is slow and turgid and in many cases the fact that the better part of the cast and all of the villains are from the future aren’t even all that relevant; this comes from the fact that the villains main motives are either money or random devastation, neither of which really demands a time-travel plot. Furthermore, the final resolution feels rushed as the future characters are suddenly grabbed up by a random time portal and are given just enough time to say goodbye to Tatsuya before taking off (1 point).

Final count: 4 points.

Worldbuilding: While we do learn a fair amount about the characters immediate lives and stories (2 points), the show never really establishes much about life in the 30th century in general, nor is it clear how the time travel is supposed to work and how changes in history manifest themselves, which makes a lot of important plot developments muddy and unclear (1 point).

Final count: 3 points.

Cinematography: The camera effects are very good (2 points), and the fight scenes are very nice, especially with the weapons that the team uses (3 points). Unfortunately, for a long time the mecha fights are more repetitive than usual, since the main mecha has multiple configurations yet always reverts to the main one to deliver the finishing blow, but when Naoto gets his mecha, the V-rex robo, things start getting much more interesting (2 points).

Final count: 7 points.

Costumes: The Timeranger suits are good, sleek and efficient (3 points), but the villains have no coherent theme or aesthetic and often are just ugly and boring to look at (0 points).

Final count: 3 points.

Music: Timeranger is notable for being the only sentai whose opening was done by a female singer (4 points), and the overall soundtrack is very strong and does a great job facilitating the mood (3 points).

Final count: 7 points

Final Score: 61

7. Chojuu Sentai Liveman (1988-89)
Summary: At the Science Academy Island, three students turn traitor and align themselves with the mysterious and evil Great Professor Bias, killing two other students in the course of their escape. Two years later the traitors return with new names and new technology to destroy those unworthy of their genius, but standing in their way are the three friends of the student’s they’d killed who have now dubbed themselves Chojuu Sentai Liveman, sworn to protect all life.
Heroes: The Liveman team is solid, if a bit bland; Yusuke is the dependable leader, Jo is the goofball, and Megumi the girl (2 points). Halfway through the series two new members are introduced, but they don’t really do much to change the dynamic of the team (1 point). However, the heroes have to play off their corresponding rival villains, they become much richer than when by themselves (2 points)

Final count: 5 points.

Villains: The villains are outstanding, with powerful personal rivalries to drive their characters (3 points); you have Dr. Kemp, vain and self-absorbed and a huge chip on his shoulder (3 points), Dr. Mazenda who is fixated on the outward appearance of maturity and beauty to cover for her own insecurities (3 points), and Dr. Obler, who abandons his human form out of self-loathing of his own weakness (3 points). Standing above them is the Great Professor Bias, who subtly controls them all through the careful distribution of his approval and disappointment (4 points). Over the course of the series three new villains arrive, and while good, none of them quite measure up to the original batch; Dr. Ashura used to be a thug who was lifted into being an artificial genius (2 points), while Guildos and Butchy are aliens who’d come to study beneath the Great Professor Bias (2 points). Oh, and then there’s Guardnoid Gush, Bias’s bodyguard and the dude in charge of turning defeated monsters giant (1 point).

Final count: 18 points

Supporting: Colon is an absolutely marvelous tech support character, one of the best in the whole franchise (5 points). We also meet up with Dr. Obler’s mother and she’s a pretty decent character (1 point).

Final count: 6 points

Story: The story has a very powerful opening act that establishes the themes and conflicts of the series beautifully (3 points). Whenever the series focuses on these themes, the storytelling is powerful and well written, fully showcasing what it means to give up ones humanity and what it takes to defend the world against that sacrifice (3 points). Filler tends to be inconsistent though and can be so silly as to clash awkwardly against the main themes of the story (-1 point). That said, the endgame sequence is a powerful and ambitious one that manages to have a unique and powerful end (3 points).

Final count: 8 points.

Worldbuilding: The superscience themes of the series and their impact on the world through the characters who use it are well done (3 points). There is also a long history that is hinted at, but never really built on (1 point).

Final count: 4 points.

Cinematography: The Land Lion mecha is a thing of beauty, the effect here is nothing short of astounding and is a big breakthrough in Super Sentai mecha effects (4 points). Also significant is the Super Live Robo, the first time in a Super Sentai when two separate humanoid mecha combine together into one (3 points). Aside from these, the science themed effects are mostly well done, and the fight scenes are engaging (3 points).
Final count: 10 points.

Costumes: The Liveman suits are nice, nothing more (2 points). The designs on the villains are mostly good, and they make Bias’s asymmetry work, which is pretty impressive (3 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Music: The opening and ending themes grew on me (2 points), and there are definitely some very nice tracks in the main series (2 points).

Final count: 4 points

Final Score: 63

6. Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger (2003-04)
Summary: There is a parallel world where the dinosaurs never died out and humanity evolved alongside them, Dino Earth. That Earth has since been subjugated by the evolian god Dezmozorya, and now his forces are reaching out to our world. A lone Ryuujin warrior makes his way here and brings with him the mighty Bakuryu, the evolved descendents of the ancient dinosaurs, and summons those with sufficiently powerful Dino Guts to fight alongside him to defend Another Earth and save Dino Earth.

Heroes: These are some very strong, if extreme in temperament, characters: you have Ryouga, a single father who does everything he can to be the perfect role model for his darling little girl (4 points), Yukito the chiropractor with a cold exterior and a messed up childhood (3 points), Ranru the mechanic who’s always coming up with something to help the team out (3 points), and poor beleaguered Asuka, who just has so much to deal with, his homeworld lost, his lover fighting for the otherside, and just so many awful things happening to him and yet he manages through it all (4 points). Also, the Bakuryu talk and have their own personalities, and they complement the team well (3 points).

Final count: 17 points

Villains: Special note has to be made of the monster makers and the monsters they create; Voffa is a composer who creates giant monsters directly, while Mikela is a painter who creates the more standard monsters that grow big after being defeated. The thing of it though, is that Mikela’s monsters are created from a plant, an animal, and a tool; for example, an early monster is a bomb (bakudan), a dandelion, and a lion, so it is called a baku-dandi-lion. That is just brilliant (4 points). Jannu the swordswoman manages to have a very powerful and moving rivalry with Asuka, there’s just so much backstory and pain and hurt here, it is cathartic to follow (4 points). Rije is the mysterious speaker for Dezmozorya, the one able to bridge the two worlds, and she does the creepy child schtick very well and like Jannu has a compelling story behind her (4 points). Then there’s Abare Killer, an amoral doctor who decides that it would be much more interesting to use his powers for destruction rather than protection, and even manages to take over the Evolian base for a good while; he also has a good rivalry with Ryouga going on due to the fact that he’d actually performed a life-saving operation on him in the past (4 points). Dezmozorya spends most of his time off-screen and incorporeal, but what little we get of him is more than enough to establish him as someone truly worthy of hating (2 points).

Final count: 18 points

Supporting: Mai, Ryouga’s niece, is a darling sweetheart who is a constant source of light and warmth for the team (3 points). Emiri and Ryunosuke were also summoned by Asuka’s call but did not qualify to become Abarangers, so they operate the home base and are very good in that regard (4 points). Finally, there is a mysterious girl in white who appears every so often who has a deeper connection to the events of the series than are immediately apparent (2 points).

Final count: 9 points

Story: The story, much like the characters, goes to great extremes; some episodes are completely ludicrous gonzo comic relief stories, while others are harrowing tales of betrayal and depravity, but at no point does the show try to do both at the same time, and so it does these things very well (3 points). The larger story is very well paced (3 points), periodically marked with hugely significant events that are well executed (3 points), and the ending is very well done (3 points).

Final count: 12 points.

Worldbuilding: We learn a lot of lore about Dino Earth (3 points) and that lore is integrated into the main story very well (2 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Cinematography: The fight scenes throughout have a lot of energy, both on the ground and in the mecha (3 points). Also, Ryouga gets a power-up that lets him take himself and his enemy into a pocket dimension which he can shape to his will, which is used to pretty good effect (2 points).

Final count: 5 points

Costumes: The Abaranger suits are very nice, especially whenever anyone goes into “Abare mode” and they become more feral (3 points). The villains all have this really weird alien aesthetic that truly conveys the notion of an incomprehensible mind behind them (3 points).

Final count: 6 points

Music: The score is good, especially the opening theme (3 points), but the ending theme is just kind of awkward (-1 point).

Final count: 2 points.

Final Score: 74

5. Kyukyu Sentai Gogo V (1999-2000)

Summary: The Celestial Grand Cross has begun, and so the Saima Demon clan begins preparations for the revival of their mother, the Grand Witch Grandienne. To counter this threat, the Tatsumi siblings are summoned from their respective rescue work jobs by their estranged father to become the Rescue Squadron Gogo V.

Heroes: This is the second time in the franchise where the team is comprised of siblings, which fosters a close and powerful bond between everyone right from the start (3 points). Matoi in particular is both a very badass and hilarious red ranger, overdramatic and yet a stalwart source of strength for his siblings (3 points). Nagare is a very good smart guy for the team, with his best moments being whenever he tries to prove his worth as a scientist against his father’s (3 points). Sho is the middle child who resents authority but he’s got a big heart and more often than not knows where to draw the line (3 points). Daimon is another fun character, very emotional and dramatic about things (3 points). Finally, there’s Matsuri, youngest child and lone girl among the Tatsumi siblings, she’s got a big burden to carry and big shoes to fill, and she does so in style (3 points).

Final count: 18 points.

Villains: Like the Tatsumis, the Saima demon clan is comprised almost entirely of siblings, at least in the command structure anyway and the bonds between them are just as strong as the Tatsumi siblings’ (3 points). Also, the eldest son only appears in one of the crossover specials, so that’s why I won’t be mentioning him here. Anyway, Zylpheeza is the second son and the leader of the Saima clan at the start; he’s got a powerful presence and is very commanding (3 points). Kobolda is the third son and a brute, his best moments come later on in the series (2 points). Denus is the fourth child and lone daughter, she is a schemer and manipulator which makes her plots a lot of fun, and she gets some good bits where she clashes with Nagare (3 points). Then there’s Drop, the youngest son who starts off as a baby, but halfway through matures into his adult body as Salamandes, and he is great, so determined to do what he can for his beloved mother, it is heartbreaking really (4 points). Pierre the spellmaster is the butler to the family, responsible for summoning up the monsters of the week and reviving them as giants upon defeat and he has a very good bond with Salamandes (3 points). Finally, Grandienne herself…holy shit, this lady is pure evil, her children mean nothing to her, she will sacrifice them at a moment’s notice if she thinks this might help her schemes out even a little bit and even after death she has use for them, she is terrifying (5 points).

Final count: 23 points.

Supporting: Dr. Mondo Tatsumi, the father of the siblings, is a very strong and well developed presence as we see him try to make up for the decade long absence in his children’s lives while he was off designing all the Gogo V tech (4 points). There is also Kyoko, who by all rights should have been in all the episodes and have been the sixth ranger and she is just so wonderful and amazing and a perfect human being (5 points). There’s also the robot buddy mint, who gets some amusing scenes (1 point).

Final count: 10 points.

Story: The show does have a lot of filler, but for the most part they are solid character building episodes (2 points). The themes of family and bonds are expressed really well and so there are a lot of moving moments on both the heroes and the villains’ side (3 points). However, the way the mother is brought back into the story near the end is shoddy and last-minute, so I don’t much care for that aspect of it all (-1 point).

Final count: 4 points

Worldbuilding: There is some lore about the Saima clan and such, but not as much as one might expect (1 point). The real strength here is the way that all the demon fighting has a very real impact on the city and everything feels really grounded and substantive because of that (4 points).

Final count: 5 points.

Cinematography: The mecha sequences are mind-blowing with an incredible attention to detail and great use of camera techniques and practical effects to make them come across as just unbelievably badass and powerful (6 points). The ground fights are also good, and one of the more fun aspects is that the heroes will often “play dead” to lure their overconfident enemy into their traps (3 points). Finally, the transformation sequences are very well put together (2 points).

Final count: 11 points

Costumes: The Gogo V suits have a very good feel to them, and it helps that the faceplates are shaped like they symbols for whatever rescue division the ranger in question worked for before become a Gogo V member (3 points). The mecha are really well designed and have a great sense of functionality to them (3 points). Finally, the monster suits are superb, almost universally impressive and intimidating and powerful (4 points).

Final count: 10 points

Music: The opening and ending themes are good (3 points), and the regular soundtrack is okay (1 point).

Final count: 4 points.

Final Score: 85

4. Seijuu Sentai Gingaman (1998-1999)

Summary: 3000 years ago the Baluban space pirates invaded the Earth, intent on stealing what they can and then destroying the planet to turn it into a super valuable gemstone; fortunately, between the mystical swordsmen of the Ginga Forest and the Star Beasts, they are able to seal away the evil pirates. In the modern day though, an earthquake cracks the seal and the pirates emerge, though the Demon Beast Daitanix is still sealed in stone; thus, Captain Zahab sends out his forces to discover the means to undo the seal, and the modern day heirs of the ancient warriors are forced to leave behind their forest home and fight as Gingaman!
Heroes: Ryouma is a strong red ranger; he has a well-done character arc centering around the fact that he wasn’t the first choice for red ranger, his older brother Hyuuga was, then the brother gets “killed” by Captain Zahab at the start, which forces him to step into his shoes, so we get a passionate character with a lot of growth (5 points). Hayate is the cool guy and something of a secondary mentor to everyone; also, he had a fiancé back in the Ginga Forest, so he’s got a lot bottled up that leaks out nicely over the course of the series (4 points). Gouki is great, he really pulls off the Big Guy position, and between his gentle nature, the fact that he’s a cook, and his recurring subplot involving his love interest, he’s a total sweetheart (5 points). Hikaru’s the punk kid who’d rather screw around then train and has little reverence for tradition but his good heart always pulls through and he does have a fun bond with Saya (3 points). Speaking of, Saya is a very capable warrior, focused and serious with a soft spot that she only lets out on occasion, a graceful swordswoman who always rises to the occasion (4 points). Finally, Hyuuga the Black Knight; long story short a lot of complicated stuff happens and he ends up with a character arc that’s a lot like Ryouma’s, which unfortunately has a lackluster finish (3 points).

Final count: 24 points

Villains: The villain structure here is a bit different, as Captain Zahab has four generals serving under him, and since they get along like oil on fire, he orders them to go one at a time and not interfere with each other’s plans; thus, we start with Sanbash the biker gunslinger, he’s a really cool guy with a great voice and his final battle is great (4 points). After him comes Budoh the noble samurai swordsman, he’s calm and eternally loyal, and like Sanbash he has a great final battle (4 points). Then comes Iliess the conniving sorceress who’s only in it for the money; her plots tend to be a bit more involved than previous ones and I always like the scheming villains best (4 points). Finally, there’s Battobas, Zahab’s first mate and best friend, he acts like a drill sergeant and his camaraderie with everyone is very nice (4 points). Outside of the generals there is Bucrates the scholar who also happens to be Iliess’s uncle and upon her death he seeks revenge no matter the cost (4 points), Shelinda the swordswoman who seeks revenge against Hayate for scarring her (3 points), and later on Biznella the arms merchant who’s also big on control and manipulation (3 points). Finally, Captain Zahab, who is powerful, intelligent, and ruthless and plenty active even if he spends most of the series in his base, he is a most worthy big bad (3 points). Special mention has to be made of the Yattotos, the mooks; they just have a lot of personality to them and are frequently used as more than just cannon fodder, which is nice (2 points).

Final count: 31 points

Supporting: Moak the talking tree and Bokku the acorn fairy are something of a package deal; one is the stationary wise man who can’t go anywhere, while Bokku is the frantic little guy who acts as his hands in the larger world, and they’re a good pair and they have a good dynamic with the team (3 points). Haruhiko and his son Yuta provide the Gingaman a place to live and train at, and as people they’re okay, nothing special (2 points). Bullblack the vengeful knight has a very good story and character (3 points). Special mention will be made of Gouki’s love interest Ms. Suzuko, who is very nice and even has a slight hidden badass streak to her (2 points).

Final count: 10 points

Story: Gingaman has very good pacing, each lead villain is given just the right amount of time in the spotlight and no one outlasts their welcome (3 points). The events within each arc are well built upon and each interesting in their own regard with mostly satisfactory resolutions (3 points). Most individual plots are well thought out and so even if the overall story isn’t moved, your time was well spent (3 points).

Final count: 9 points.

Worldbuilding: There is the Ginga Forest and its history (2 points), the star beasts and their purpose (2 points), and the Baluban pirates and the relations between them all (2 points).

Final count: 6 points

Cinematography: The ground fights are very nice with their strong emphasis on swordsmanship and more feral fighting styles (3 points). The scenes with the Star Beasts in their natural forms are also good, and there is this one stock footage shot with Ryouma standing on top of Ginga Leon as he’s gathering fire for their attack that is just really powerful to me (3 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Costumes: The Gingaman suits are okay, but the black jagged portions need to be a bit higher up on the chest to properly convey the sense of a pair of jaws (1 point). The main mecha is not all that good; on the one hand it’s got a beard, but on the other Gingalcon feels very tacked on in the end, but fortunately the other mecha more than make up the difference (2 points). The villain designs are great throughout, especially since each monster of the week is patterned according to whichever general it is they serve (3 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Music: The opening and ending are very good (3 points), and the overall soundtrack is strong (3 points), but there is one “waa-waa” sound effect used several times that is just painful (-1 point).

Final count: 5 points

Final Score: 97

3. Juken Sentai Gekiranger (2007-08)

Summary: There exist two opposing schools of martial arts; Geki Jyuken, the beast fist of justice, and Rin Jyuken Akugata, the beast fist of evil. The conflict between the two schools heats up after Rio, who had defected from Geki Jyuken in favor of Rin Jyuken Akugata’s power, obtains an artifact that shows him the path to true power. At the same time though, a strange jungle boy who’d been raised by tigers is discovered by Miki, an executive for the SCRTC corporation that serves as a front for Geki Jyuken, and is brought in to be trained by them to fight against Rio. What results is an epic battle whose origin and meaning extends back thousands of years ago to the very founding of the original Geki Jyuken school.

Heroes: When the show starts, there are only the three Gekirangers; Jan, Retsu, and Ran, and one of the things that the show constantly emphasizes is the concept of “The Triangle”, that these three possess strengths and weaknesses that complement one another in equal portions, and this is built upon very well (3 points). Jan the wild boy with the invincible body can be a bit annoying, but I mostly found his antics to be amusing, and he gets a ton of growth and development over the course of the series (4 points). Retsu is the serious artist who focuses on technique, and while he’s good, he doesn’t get all that much growth (2 points). Ran is the den mother who’s full of heart and always throws herself into her training and like Retsu doesn’t get all that much growth either (2 points). Later on they are joined by Gou and Ken; Gou is Retsu’s older brother and the cool loner dude and he’s got a pretty solid character arc (3 points). Ken on the other hand is fun, but once he gets his mecha he’s just kind of there (2 points).

Final count: 16 points

Villains: Gekiranger gives its villains, or at least the ones who don’t run around in rubber suits, equal billing with the heroes and so they have a lot more depth and development then most other villains in super sentai; you have Rio, the leader of the RinJyuDen, utterly focused on becoming stronger and stronger, driven by a nightmarish fear, his soul trapped in turmoil (5 points). Mele, his second-in-command, the first of the RinRinShi that he revived, she is eternally grateful to him for giving her a second chance at life, and so she devotes herself fully to her love for him and draws her strength from this (5 points). Halfway through the series a mysterious sorcerer appears named Long, a cunning schemer who carefully manipulates events and even does damage control to make sure that his plans come to fruition as they should (5 points). The main rubber suit villains are the Kenma, the three ancient masters and founders of RinJyuKen Akugata; there is Kata who focuses on hate and illusions (3 points), Rageku who focuses on jealousy and misdirection (3 points), and Maku who focuses on rage and brutality (3 points).

Final count: 24 points

Supporting: Miki is an amazing technical support character, wise and experienced and a great personality that shines through (4 points). Her daughter Natsume is also fun and the two play off each other well (2 points). Master Sha Fu does the eccentric wise old master well (3 points). Bae is a fly monster who comes out of Mele’s stomach whenever the giant monster battles start to provide commentary on them like they were martial arts matches, and like everyone else he gets some good solid depth to him (3 points). Then there are the Kensei, the various masters that the Gekirangers study under; Elehan the pervy old man (2 points), Bat Li the dancer (3 points), Sharkie Chan thow is just so ecstatic to have his first ever student (3 points); Gorie Yen the novelist (3 points), Michelle Peng the peppy technique expert (3 points), and Bion Biao the tough guy (2 points).

Final count: 27 points

Story: The story is very fluid and continuous, and with one or two exceptions the events of one episode lead into the next which gives the story a strong, continually building feeling (4 points). Everything is very well paced and thought out, high points and low points fall naturally and are more powerful for it (4 points). The major themes of the show, Free-will vs. Predestination, are embodied by all the main characters to one degree or another and are well done because of this (4 points). Finally, the endgame is extremely well done and has lots of powerful and intense moments to it (4 points).

Final count: 16 points

Worldbuilding: The backstory on everything is impeccably well thought out and intricate (4 points). There are three layers to everything, three generations that build on one another in a multifaceted fashion that is rich and rewarding (4 points). The lore behind the series is incredibly deep with a great deal of martial arts philosophy behind it (4 points).

Final count: 12 points

Cinematography: The martial arts action is impeccable as every character has a very distinct fighting style (5 points). The mecha fights are generally pretty good too, save when Ken’s mecha gets involved, as it’s a pretty standard sword-and-shield mecha which clashes rather badly against the other more martial-arts style mecha (3 points).

Final count: 8 points

Costumes: The Gekiranger suits are all very good, very fitting to the Bruce-li feel of a lot of the series (4 points). The mecha on the other hand are too red heavy for my tast (2 points). However, the designs on the villains are spectacular (4 points).

Final count: 10 points

Music: The soundtrack is very good and well utilized (3 points), and there are lots of really well done insert songs that amplify the mood many times over (3 points).

Final count: 6 points.

Final Score: 119

2. Dengeki Sentai Changeman (1985-86)

Summary: The Great Star League Gozma has chosen the Earth as the latest target in its campaign of intergalactic conquest. To defend the earth, Commander Ibuki desperately trains his forces to tap into the mysterious Earth Force, and his efforts bear fruit in five soldiers, who then take up arms against the Gozma armies as the Blitzkreig Squadron Changeman!
Heroes: Tsurugi is a powerful and confident leader, pretty much the standard setter for the red rangers of the era (3 points). Hayate is the resident ladies’ man, and he’s okay (2 points). Ozora is the hopeful idealist and he gets some very good character moments out of that (3 points). Sayaka is marvelous, she is pretty much a perfect human being (5 points). Mai is also amazing, and a perfect human being (5 points).

Final count: 18 points

Villains: The thing to note about all the villains under the Star King Bazoo is that they are all being blackmailed, they have to conquer more and more worlds for him to keep what remains of their worlds from being utterly destroyed, which gives all the villains that extra dimension of desperation as they continually struggle with justifying what they’re doing (4 points). Giluke is the lead general of the invasion and his descent into darkness as the strain of his mission becomes too much for him is intense (4 points). Booba, despite the silly name, is a serious and focused warrior who, while never a virtuous man, was one with a measure of valor to him (4 points). Shima is a female warrior who oddly enough speaks with a man’s voice, and her story is gone into considerable depth and ends very well for my taste (5 points). Gator has a goofy, silly design, yet his story about how he does what he must for the sake of protecting his wife and son is powerfully moving (5 points). Then there’s Gyodai, the creature in charge of turning monsters giant, and even though all he can say is his own name, he ends up being sympathetic as well (3 points). Last but most certainly not least among Bazoo’s servants is the Amazon Queen Ahames; she is A-ha-mazing, end of discussion (6 points). And now the man himself, Star King Bazoo, a constant and looming and absolutely terrifying presence, inhumanly monstrous, he is evil incarnate like few others can be (5 points).

Final count: 36 points.

Supporting: Commander Ibuki’s an okay mentor, but his mania that ends up getting so many of his own troops slaughtered at the start is never properly addressed, and there’s a late-game twist with him that should have been revealed a lot sooner (2 points). The support staff of the Earth Defense Force is solid and regularly makes valued contributions to the team (2 points). There’s Nana, a Rigelian girl who has unique access to her people’s super science and she makes several strong contributions to the series (4 points). Then we’ve got Sakura the Mirellian, who only appears twice yet is powerful and significant on both occasions (4 points). Then there’s Zorii and Waraji, Gator’s family who are just wonderful (5 points).

Final count: 17 points

Story: The first few episodes are a bit weak, rushed and all plot (1 point), but after that, the show becomes increasingly solid and powerful, with its weakest episodes only being mildly annoying as opposed to being a total drag (4 points). There are a lot of really great moments, especially as the endgame gets into gear (4 points), and the ending itself is a marvel (5 points). The show also remembers its plot points, stuff that is established early on will come back into play in very satisfactory fashion (4 points)

Final count: 18 points

Worldbuilding: The scope of this show is incredible, huge and convincingly vast, you really believe that Bazoo is conquering the entire universe (4 points). The details of the myriad alien races and cultures and technologies are also well thought out and integrated, enhancing the feel of a coherent universe (4 points). Finally, there is the matter of the Earth Force that the team wields, it is an impressive thing indeed and the effects of this truly establishes that our heroes are the only ones who can fight off the Gohzma Star League (4 points).

Final count: 12 points

Cinematography: The effects are okay, and with a little imagination their power comes through, but even so there are plenty of times when their reach vastly exceeds their grasp (3 points). Fortunately, the absolutely impeccable camerawork more than makes up the difference, making every fight scene that much more engaging (6 points). The mecha scenes are also nice, and the combination sequence is a good one (3 points).

Final count: 12 points

Costumes: The Changeman suits are good ones, especially the helmets, they have a lot of detail to them (3 points). The Changeman Mecha is okay, but the head could have really stood to have had a helmet or something (2 points). The villain designs are great, especially Bazoo, he is a terrifying presence to behold just looking at him (5 points).

Final count: 10 points.

Music: The music is okay, the opening theme grew on me (2 points), but is otherwise not memorable (1 point).

Final count: 3 points

Final Score: 126 points

1. Mahou Sentai Magiranger (2005-06)

Summary: Fifteen years ago, the Heavenly world of Magitopia and the Hades Empire Infershia were locked in deadly battle, which only came to an end when Blagel, the greatest warrior among the Heavenly Saints went down into the underground realm and sealed it away from the inside. Now the forces of Infershia are recovering, and when they resume their invasion, the first to respond is Miyuki Ozu, Blagel’s wife, who informs her now full-grown children of their legacy and inducts them into battle before she is tragically cut down before them. Now the siblings, inexperienced and without guidance, must fight the legions of hell alone.

Heroes: Magiranger’s approach to its character focus is different from just about every other Super Sentai out there; rather than focusing on just one character at a time, each episode focuses on two characters at a time, so not only do we get how the two characters react and deal with a certain situation, we also get how their relationship is affected by that situation and each other, which makes every episode that much richer and deeper and more engaging; it is a brilliant move that leaves me wondering why Super Sentai doesn’t do this more often (5 points). Kai, the third son and fifth child, starts off the series as an impulsive hot head who chafes under the pressure that his siblings subject him to, a total mama’s boy who grew up without having ever known his father; over the course of the series he matures greatly to the point he begins teaching his older siblings important lessons (5 points). Tsubasa, the second son and fourth child, starts off the series cynical and somewhat awkward around his family, his affected cool persona clashing with their more openly emotional and goofy antics, and he is especially resentful of having to be responsible for Kai; over the course of the series he lets down his emotional barriers and becomes more honest with himself, embracing both his passions and his responsibilities to his family (5 points). Urara, the second daughter and third child, starts off soft-spoken and quiet, frequently putting her siblings ahead of herself and acting as a surrogate mother for them; over the course of the series she becomes more willing to be selfish, think more about her needs and what she wants, to see her siblings as equals who can support her as well (5 points). Houka, first daughter and second child, is a perfect human being, she does what she wants and she does not care what you think of this, and while she is flighty and acts on impulse, the fact is that she does put a lot of thought and care into her actions and she sees things in a very different light from everyone else; that said, she does grow over the course of the series, learning not to shirk her responsibilities and the fact that not everything is fun and games forever (5 points). Makito, eldest son and first child, is very much the self-appointed father figure for the family, he pretty much lives to take care of his siblings and prepare them for the day when they have to move, and he is full of resolve and is very stubborn; over the course of the series he becomes more receptive to the idea that he doesn’t have to be right all the time or be in charge of everything and more willing to think about his own needs and dreams (5 points). Finally, there is Hikaru, the Heavenly Saint who studied under Blagel and who takes in turn to be a mentor for Blagel’s children, which enables him to form deep and powerful bonds with every member of the team unlike most Sixth rangers. He is a marvelously wonderfully charming man, mature and insightful and always aware, and he is always working to raise the Ozu siblings to the level that he knows they can reach; also, when the inevitable Worf Effect hits and he starts getting the crap kicked out of him, the show actually makes this a part of his character arc and forces him to deal with this change in the status quo (5 points). One last thing that I need to make clear is that with these characters, their strengths and weaknesses are one in the same, the traits that see them through are the ones that hold them back, which makes them that much more rich and well rounded.

Final count: 35 points

Villains: Victory General Branken is a brute and not all that interesting, save for some conclusions that you can get to if you read between the lines and look a little more closely at his design (2 points). Then there’s Vancuria the Queen Vampire, who has the ability to split into two Gothic lolitas named Nai and Mare (in Japanese, Nai to Mare…Super Sentai loves its puns), and is also immortal; even if you kill her, she’ll just come back to life the next night good as new; this allows her to survive when other villains around her die and thus experience some rather interesting growth as a person (4 points). Wolzard, the Dark Magic Knight, is great because of how he works as a deconstruction of the Noble Demon, the honorable warrior who lets his opponents live to fight another day, and also the way he himself continually grows in power and thus is able to be a constant threat to the Magirangers even as they grow in power (5 points). After Branken dies, he is replaced by the Dark Magic Priest Meemy, and he is a great conniving schemer, and his history and connection with the Heavenly Saints makes his ultimate defeat at Hikaru’s hands very satisfying (5 points). Then there’s the Infershia Pantheon; last third of the series, ten new villains introduced, each needing their own bit of characterization and a chance to show off their power and they do it really, really well, they have a rich internal dynamic that is constantly shuffling itself up and moving things along (5 points); the Hades Gods organized themselves into three tiers, the Five Warrior Gods comprised of Ifrit, Titan, Wyvern, Cyclps, and Toad (5 points), the Three Wise Gods comprised of Sphinx, Gorgon, and Dagon (5 points), and the Two Ultimate Gods Drake and Sleipnir (5 points). Finally there’s the big bad himself, N.Ma; he spends almost the entire series sealed away, but upon his revival, he wastes no time in being an absolutely terrifying and devastating enemy, laying waste to all who oppose him (4 points).

Final count: 40 points

Supporting: Miyuki is a perfect human being; not only did she have to deal with the loss of her husband and having to raise five kids ON HER OWN for fifteen years, but she knew that at any time, the forces of Infershia were going to rise up again, that she was going to have to fight them, and in all likelihood she would not survive; she knew this and made lots of preparations for that eventuality and through it all she was able to keep it together and not once did her children suspect a thing; oh, and she also demanded that the queen of heaven make her into a magician and got her way, because she is that kind of BAMF (5 points). Mandora Boy is a mandrake that Miyuki had raised in secret to aid her children in the event of her demise, and while he does muck up some dramatic scenes early on, his antics are amusing enough to justify his existence (2 points). Yuka Yamazaki, she is basically Kai’s love interest and while at first she doesn’t know that he and her beloved MagiRed are one in the same, she does find out halfway through the series but chooses not to tell him she knows; while they don’t say it outright, I infer that she figures there’s a good reason he doesn’t tell her and decides to respect this, and she does act differently towards him after she learns this, more willing to confront him on his weaknesses than before, so she’s a good character (3 points). Then there’s Rin, aka Lunagel, the first of the Heavenly Saints we are introduced to; her introductory arc is really good and her appearances throughout the rest of the series are well placed and timed, though I do wish that she’d gotten more fight scenes, even though there are extenuating circumstances (4 points). Smoky the Cat is a pretty obvious play off the Genie from Aladdin, and he gets some good moments, I like him better than Mandora Boy (3 points). Then there’s the Heavenly Arch Saint Magiel, ruler of Magitopia; she is played by Machiko Soga, is basically the good version of all the evil witch types she’s played over the years, and is basically a perfect human being that we don’t see nearly enough of (4 points). The third and final of the female Heavenly Saints we are introduced is Snowgel, the eldest of the Heavenly Saints who studied under the Five Legendary Magicians who’d originally founded Magitopia; she is great and amazing and like Lunagel should have had more fight scenes, but the ones we got were grand (4 points). Finally, there is Isamu, aka Blagel; he’s a strong and stalwart figure, and there a couple moments here and there that just really humanizes him and makes him very relatable (4 points).

Final count: 29 points

Story: There is no filler in this story at all, every episode matters, plot points are established early and brought back at just the right time (5 points). The series is divided into three arcs, each of which is strong enough that they could stand as their own complete series with just a little editing (5 points). Special mention has to go the Hades Gods Arc, which is just utterly unlike anything else in Super Sentai, with the battles and conflicts becoming far more sprawling and involved then any of the simple, straightforward brawls of the preceding episodes (5 points). The themes of courage and family bonds are shown so well throughout, aided by a focus on making sure that every story has a point, a lesson for our heroes to learn which sticks with them for the rest of the series (5 points). Also, the movie is actually well integrated into the main series as opposed to just being an excuse to introduce a new toy to buy (5 points). Finally, the ending is just…this is one of the most narratively satisfying endings I have ever experienced, because the whole series from the first moment was constantly and inexorably building towards it without misstep (5 points).

Final count: 30 points

Worldbuilding: The intricacy of the backstory and metaphysics to this series are almost unmatched; the magic systems that the characters use are so thoroughly thought out that even when the characters are bending and breaking rules, it still manages to be cohesive and make sense (5 points). The history behind Magitopia and Infershia are also well thought and gone into in considerable depth, you could easily put together multiple prequel and even sequel stories together from the wealth of information that the show gives us (5 points). Finally, there is the fact that by the end of the series there are so many well characterized, well written high ranking female characters who accomplish and contribute so much to the story, who are respected in the narrative, it is delightful (5 points).

Final count: 15 points

Cinematography: The effects are fairly nice and the way they use the magic is creative, though not as much as it could have been (4 points). The ground fight scenes are solid and enjoyable, but there are better ones out there (3 points). The mecha fights are pretty good on the whole, aided by how almost every individual mecha is humanoid and the action itself is well paced (3 points).

Final count: 10 points.

Costumes: The magiranger suits are great, and the Legend Mode upgrades are amazing (5 points). The designs on the supporting characters and mecha are also strong (4 points). The villains have near universal great designs, especially N.Ma and the Infershia Pantheon, holy crap are these designs just amazing (5 points).

Final count: 14 points.

Music: The soundtrack here is really strong, the opening is great and the ending is so cutesy that it manages to get past the guard of even the more cynical among us (5 points). The music is very well used throughout the series (4 points), and there are tons of insert songs that just really work (4 points).

Final count: 13 points

Final Score: 186