Boxing Day 2008!

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With many thanks to automated_alice. (^_^)

Operation Overdrive #17 & Boukenger #22 – 23 Reviews (SPOILERS)

Boukenger #22 is possibly the best Silver-era Bouken episode to date, which is odd as considering how silly it was if this had been Go-onger, I would have been bitching about it before the opening credits had finished.

I think that it was the Hurricanger vibe of the episode that made it so likeable (though certainly Yamasaki Mami’s cute stage magician outfit didn’t hurt). The whole dynamic of the set-up, especially the opening confrontation between the five Boukenger, Shizuka and Zukangami was not a hundred miles removed from a Furabijou-centric Hurricanger episode, thus furthering the personal ‘fanon’ of this household as to who is exactly behind Yaiba’s masque.

image courtesy of the wonderful automated_icons.

Considering how enjoyable this episode was, it was somewhat disappointing to see it reduced to an edited clip of the giant robot finale in Overdrive #17.

What did work about OO #17 was the fact that it was back to normal levels of Power Rangers absurdity, creating a story about the Norse gods Thor and Loki at the expense of two stories about a plot to lead animals in revolt against humans and Mogami’s former partner from his spy days, Toba.

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings,"

"Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

(sidenote: the two screenshots above are interesting to me from a technical point of view if only because the ratio is so radically different).

It’s difficult to explain the appeal of OO #17. The episode still suffers from poor quality acting, bad dialogue and a script with awful pacing (not to mention an overt focus on Ronny) but the silliness of the notion of the Power Rangers teaming up with Thor wins over all that – not at every moment but certainly in retrospect. It’s that silliness that places it slightly above what is a good, solid character episode for BoukenBlue and certainly a more finished product. Bouken #22’s playfulness carries the episode in much the same way, so again, we’re back to the age old scenario of Boukenger being the superior story but Overdrive still having at least some charm.

Matsumoto Wakana makes a cameo? Possibly?

On a semi-related note, I’ve been meaning to mention Kamen Rider Den-O & Kiva The Movie: Climax Deka for some time now, but I can’t seem to find the enthusiasm because…well, it was absolutely awful. Not even Akiyama Rina in cheongsam could save it.