Dial 199!

Posted by utsukushuudreamer on

199 Heroes, but a bitch ain’t one. This was actually automated_alice‘s joke, but still.

The opening is fairly engaging, telling the story prior to the Goukaiger series. In fact, it’s only as the Goukaiger appear that things begin to slow down. I never thought I’d say this, but the appearance of the Goseiger cast soon changes this.

Again, the Goukaiger team seem guest stars in their own story. This seems to be a running theme for the series, although I’m fairly sure this wasn’t always the way. Perhaps I’ve simply become more cynical as the story has unfolded.

For a while there, at the beginning of the year, I was pretty engaging by both the characters and the settings… and then the worst thing possible for the show happened: they had a Hurricanger two-parter. If anything was needed to highlight how uninteresting the events of their own series have been, then it was episodes #25 – 26.

Obviously it’s well documented that Hurricanger has long since been one of my favourite shows. These episodes simply reminded me why.

After #26, I just felt that, more than anything, what I wanted was a Hurricanger sequel.

But all of this is besides the point as we’re talking about 199 Heroes.

So, what did I like about the film? Surprisingly, the Goseiger characters. I never watched this series, or had much interest in it, but they seemed a lot more well-rounded than the cast of this year’s sentai. Like Boukenger and Shinkenger, it also felt like the events of Goseiger continued beyond what we saw in the series – like we only saw but a glimpse of the wider world in which these events took place.

Speaking of Boukenger, it was also nice to see a cameo from Takahashi Mitsuomi, again reprising his role as Akashi Satoru/BoukenRed. Likewise I was pleased to see the original actors reprise the roles of the Big One and AkaRanger.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a vs. Super Sentai film were it not for the random selection of ‘favourites’ reprising their roles. I’m not going to complain about Aizawa Rina being in the film but I do have to wonder if she was really that popular to warrant an appearance here and also in the standalone Goukaiger movie. Regardless, she is an improvement on GingaBlue.

When placed side-by-side with Toei’s other big crossover of the year (OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let’s Go Kamen Riders), 199 Heroes is an infinitely better offering and a story that does its source material infinitely more credit. It’s still not as good as All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker – in fact it could even be said to rely too heavily on the tropes of the previous Rider crossover, but it is a lot of fun and worth checking out for that reason alone.

46 minutes

Posted by utsukushuudreamer on

Well… 46 minutes into OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let’s Go Kamen Riders, and if this is the reason why the authorities at Toei wanted to cut back on using previous Riders in Fourze and successive shows, then I can’t say I blame them.

So far it’s not a patch on All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker.

I suppose I should award points for the fact that General Shadow from Stronger appears… but seeing as I’d completely forgotten who he was as he’s such a last-minute-head-villain, I don’t think I really can.

FICTION: Tournament Armoured Hero (5/?)

Posted by utsukushuudreamer on

Title: Tournament Armoured Hero (5/?)
Era/Series: Tournament Kamen Rider, Academy Kamen Rider
Pairing/Characters: Jesse Elias, Gates Elias/Kamen no 1000 Ninpuu, Jack Ryker, Jaden Stryder, Mikuchi,
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Length: 7838 words
Disclaimer: Jessie and Gates Elias created by Zeltrax541, Mikuchi created by honoomaru, other characters created and owned by DJDiddyDog. Original characters owned by me.
Summary: The forbidden history of Jaden Stryder. The final fight of the Elias brothers against Destronger. A world forever changed.
Previous Chapters: 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 /05
If possible, please donate to relief work in Japan either through local charities, your own country’s branch of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, or through the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Read it here.

Momoiro Clover Z: Z Densetsu ~Owarinaki Kakumei~

Posted by utsukushuudreamer on

Some of you may be hesitant about making the leap from tokusatsu to idol fandom. I’m pretty sure that’s not the case seeing as there is a significant amount of crossover between the two industries in the casting each year of Toei’s Super Sentai female team members, but in case you still had any kind of hesitation, then I believe Momoiro Clover have fashioned their latest single just for you.

Not only is their latest song, Z Densetsu ~Owarinaki Kakumei~ a collaboration with tokusatsu songmaster, Mizuki Ichiro, but the PV itself is one big tokusatsu homage.

You can check out Z Densetsu, and take your first steps into the wider world of idol fandom, on tokyohive.

FICTION: Tournament Armoured Hero (6.II/?)

Posted by utsukushuudreamer on

Title: Tournament Armoured Hero (6.II/?)
Era/Series: Tournament Kamen Rider, Academy Kamen Rider
Pairing/Characters:Taryse Leiter, Amelia Leiter, Drake Legenal, Chazz Leiter/Simurgh, Sheila Torrance, Lina Torrance, Tex Arkana/Grizzly
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Length: 1639 words
Disclaimer: Drake Legenal created by honoomaru, Sheila Torrance and Tex Arkana created by Matthew Cavazos, Lina Torrance created by Ashley Corgan, other characters created and owned by DJDiddyDog. Original characters owned by me.
Summary: Taryse is forced to come to terms with the potential loss of Chazz whilst, deep in the desert, Sheila Torrance and her daughter, Lina, receive a visit from an old foe in need.
Previous Chapters: 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 /05
If possible, please donate to relief work in Japan either through local charities, your own country’s branch of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, or through the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Read it here.

FICTION: Tournament Armoured Hero (6.I/?)

Posted by utsukushuudreamer on

Title: Tournament Armoured Hero (6.I/?)
Era/Series: Tournament Kamen Rider, Academy Kamen Rider
Pairing/Characters: Mikuchi Keitarou, Sky Raider/MONARCH, Fait Accompli
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Length: 769 words
Disclaimer: Hao Wong created by redryuranger11, Sky Raider created by Kyo*, Mikuchi Keitarou created by honoomaru, other characters created and owned by DJDiddyDog. Original characters owned by me.
Summary: Hao, Jyunichi and Dreamcaster prepare to trace Destronger to their source. Meanwhile, Sky Raider assumes new armour in order to draw out MONARCH’s killer.
Previous Chapters: 01 / 02 / 03 / 04 /05
If possible, please donate to relief work in Japan either through local charities, your own country’s branch of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, or through the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Read it here.

Kaizoku Sentai Goukaiger Episode #1 ~ Initial Thoughts

Posted by utsukushuudreamer on

I have, of course, started watching Kaizoku Sentai Goukaiger, the Super Sentai franchise’s 35th anniversary show. As everyone knows, I am completely weak against crossovers – I love them, even for the lamest excuse. Whatever reason, whatever poor excuse of a half-baked, hastily thrown together plotline, I will be there for it. This is part of the reason why I was surprised that I actually enjoyed 70% of Kamen Rider DCD. I wasn’t actually expecting anything of any real significance and yet here was this show that reinvented the previous ten years of Rider history and did it in a unique and enjoyable fashion.

Goukaiger doesn’t look like it is as unique as DCD. The gimmick has already been proven and tested, we know the DCD format was popular hence its return here and the continued presence of DCD-related spin off features. So whilst not unique, what Goukaiger is, is actually a lot of fun.

The same AU premise as DCD seems to be employed in order to prevent the show from being too hampered by continuity (I can almost hear [info]softpixels weeping as I say that) and we are treated to, on average, the return of at least three different former teams (if only for henshin and combat sequences) per episode, not including the Boukenger style Pokérap detailing a different chunk of previous shows at the end of each episode.

The use of former powers by the core Goukaiger team is also unique in that gender is not an issue – in episode #2, we see a female HarikenYellow, a female GekiRed, a male HarikenBlue and several other paradigm shifts in terms of the interpretation of established power sets.

So, having said all that, you would be vastly mistaken if you thought that I wasn’t about to write about to write Ahim de Famille as girl!KuwagaRaiger x Nono Nanami is seriously mistaken.

Hell, you might even get a new Sentai School piece out of me yet.

Stay tuned.

FICTION: Tournament Armoured Hero #4

Posted by utsukushuudreamer on

Title: Tournament Armoured Hero (4/?)
Era/Series: Tournament Kamen Rider, Academy Kamen Rider
Pairing/Characters: Mikuchi Keitarou, Sky Raider/King, Sun Raider/Queen, Joseph Dodgson, Fait Accompli, Eldritch, Joe Hammel, Drake Legenal, Randall Kalish/K-R-A 3, Taryse Leiter, Chazz Leiter/Dark Phoenix, Hao Wong, Kanemura Jyunichi, Armoured Hero Dreamcaster, Mikuchi Asuka, Ryusei Koji, Sage Night, Long Ryusei, Star Raider/Jack
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Length: 5559 words
Disclaimer: Hao Wong and Sage Night created by redryuranger11, Sky and Sun Raider created by Kyo*, Drake Legenal and Mikuchi Keitarou created by honoomaru, Joe Hammel created by wizard2555555, Ryusei Koji created by Elemental Hero Bladedge, other characters created and owned by DJDiddyDog. Original characters owned by me.
Summary: Hao, Jyunichi and Dreamcaster arrive on the doorstep of Professor Mikuchi, looking slightly worse for wear whilst Randall Kalish attempts to kidnap Taryse, much to the distemper of Chazz.
Previous Chapters: 01 / 02 / 03
Pimp: If you like this, you might want to consider buying A Nation of Shadows. (^_^);

Read it here.