I can’t believe it took me until episode #8 of Turboranger to realise that Hama Youhei (BlueTurbo) is in fact Mogami Souta (BoukenBlue)…but you’re going to have to trust me on this as I’m too lazy to screencap.
Also: Shishido Masaru (Hoshino Gorou/OhRed) playing BoukenSilver’s father? If so, I need to know how the child of MegaPink and OhRed could grow up to be such a waste of space?
Turboranger #4 is hardcore. Srsly.
The plot device/monster-of-the-week would have made Liveman proud. So disturbed was I by some of the brief sequences that they instantly recalled memories of indie alienation-splatter masterpiece Society, which, coincidentally was released in the same year as Turboranger.
In other news: Jungle Fever Fury is still going well. More on this later as well as possible Lost Galaxy vs. Gingaman and Boukenger vs. Operation Overdrive speculation.
Seiju Rakia is my new best friend!
Seriously guys, he is awesome! He’s also one of the many highlights from the opening episodes of Kousoku Sentai Turboranger.
I’ve always avoided watching this series for fear that it could never really live up to Liveman and, whilst it’s very different in tone (it’s actually a lot closer to 1997′s Megaranger in terms of the core character set up) there’s a lot of charm in these opening stories. Two of the things that instinctively won me over were the focus on the Turboranger-tachi’s classmates (something I’ve wanted to explore in a similar way in TetsuMan, more on that later) and the mecha – great giant flying vehicles!
The show is also in a style that sentai as a franchise seldom pursues nowadays. Whilst the villain unit, the support characters and the Turboranger gear all have unique themes, they’re all a complete mish-mash of concepts – you just don’t get shows based around sea-creature/reptile villains vs. car-based heroes who received their powers from a tiny faerie girl and a giant flying dog/eagle/lion thing anymore.
In terms of extra gadgets, Turboranger 0wns even modern Power Rangers shows – they’ve got giant Voltron-style vehicle mech, motorbikes and buggies! How’s that for a selling point, Mister Saban?
If you’re looking for an alternative to the lacklustre plod of Go-onger, then I highly recommend Turboranger.
In other news: Super Albion Wars needs you!!
