Maggs Lol

SPOILER FREE REVIEW:

Ah yes, the granddaddy of them all. Gorenger is a fascinating watch. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s the beginning of everything.

You can absolutely see why it became so popular. The energy is there, the ideas are there, and there’s a certain charm to how earnest and creative it is. It throws a lot at the wall: spy elements, disguises, bizarre monsters. And when it hits, it really hits. Episode 83 is probably one of my standouts (Peggy absolutely stole the show there, queen behavior), and moments like that remind you why this series mattered so much. She and Daita were definitely my favorites with Yoko (007) coming in close (and I wish she had stayed until the end!).

At the same time… it’s a long, very episodic show, and you feel it. Once you lock into the formula, it becomes predictable. Literally, you can see the structure of each episode coming from a mile away. That makes it harder to binge, especially compared to modern Sentai with stronger ongoing narratives.

The action also evolves as it goes, which is interesting to watch. You can genuinely feel the shift when stunt work improves thanks to JAC (Japan Action Club). It’s like the show slowly learns how to be itself in real time.

That said, the finale doesn’t quite land the way you’d hope. For such a historically important series, it feels a bit underwhelming. It wasn't bad, just not the grand send-off I was expecting expect after such a long run. But then again, it was the 70s, what can you do?

Overall, Gorenger is less about tight storytelling and more about legacy. It’s the blueprint. The foundation. You’re watching history being built in real time, even if that history is a little rough around the edges.

Do I respect it? Absolutely. Do I love parts of it? For sure. Was it easy to sit through all the way? …eh.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW:

Gozyuger is the definition of “you had the ingredients, but the recipe needed another draft.”

There are genuinely great elements here. Kinjiro? Absolute highlight. Give that man more screen time immediately. Hoeru is a walking mood board. The villains are wildly charismatic (FIRE CANDLE! I hope his actor has all the opportunities open for him). Honestly at times they were more magnetic than the heroes (maybe except for Tega June tbh...) and that’s both a compliment and a problem.

The suits look great. The concepts are ambitious. The Universe War and Ring mythology sound huge on paper… but I felt the execution never fully dives into that scale. For something positioned as a major, potentially final era Sentai, it felt smaller than it should’ve. I wanted maybe higher stakes. I (desperately) wanted Showa love (but of course who tf cares about showa these days? :( ). Instead, it sometimes felt like we skimmed the surface and moved on.

The Sumino situation is genuinely awful and heartbreaking and it’s unfortunate that the production turbulence ended up being visible on screen. The green screen patchwork and scheduling limitations definitely hurt the immersion, even though none of that reflects on Kohaku Shida's talent (thanks to her for stepping up last minute). It’s just one of those behind-the-scenes tragedies that unfortunately affected the final product.

Action wise? Fine. Tegasword… exists. Nothing embarrassing, nothing mind-blowing. It’s all serviceable.

Overall, Gozyuger isn’t bad. It has strong moments, some very lovable pieces, and flashes of what could’ve been something incredible. But it never quite locks into that emotional, celebratory, “this is special” feeling I look for, especially in an anniversary-era Sentai.

But Captain N fanfic has finally been updated after two years of hellish creative block.

Back to the cave i go. enjoy!