Current music: AKINA - One Wish

My interest in Magiranger has waned. I'm pretty much sure that anyone with even the slightest interest in tokusatsu on my friends list saw this coming a mile off which makes it all the more painful to actually admit. I won't say that I actually dislike the show but after several episodes I found myself becoming more and more disinterested in it. My initial reactions to episode two were fairly favourable. As pathetic as it sounds I think part of the appeal of the episode was the (brief) appearance of Nai and Mea, who really do have great costumes and a nice sideline in Wendinu and Furabijou impressions. I was also impressed with the fact that the characters were conveyed as real people in reaction to the death of magimother with both Houka and Tsubasa (it's a girl's name!) doubting their abilities and their roles as magi-senshi. That came across really well, I thought ~ all the more reason to get agitated by people slamming such displays of emotion as being [sic] 'sentai sailormoonranger'. The world, as you might have guessed, is full of idiots.

Episode three was perhaps where the first signs of dissatisfaction began to arise. In its favour I will say that I was impressed at how they're not rushing to bring everything in at once. It seems to be a tradition in sentai to introduce all the characters in the first episode and then everything else (until the next wave of toys is released) in episode two. Magiranger has defied that by introducing the elements of the series of four episodes or so which is highly commendable - the trouble is, the revelation of the majin modes in the second episode and the magidragon in the third was less than awe inspiring. Again there's the nagging sensation that perhaps I'm being overly-harsh but every time that idea surfaces I remember how much I loved the opening episode of Megaranger and how there was no doubt whatsoever that i wanted to (and still want to) try and find more episodes in the series. The fact that i've spent so many episodes humming and hah-ing over Magiranger is not a good sign. We call this Abaranger syndrome, in fact the fourth episode could have been an Abaranger episode considering the poor quality of the scripting. I'm still sitting on the fence somewhat with Nai and Mea ~ I really want to think they're cute but every time I try to reconcile myself to this I hear the sound of fanboy fapping from the direction of one tokusatsu message board or another. I think, in terms of girlslash (another 20p for the lion) there are at least three half-way decent scenarios that would be fun to write for Magiranger: Houka (Magipink) x Miyuki (Magimother), Nai x Mea and, last but not least, Houka x Nai x Mea. And you thought I couldn't sink any lower? ^_^

The following episodes (well, up to six, at least) passed without any real comment. For a moment I thought it was building up to something but in all honesty it became easier to not bother downloading it rather than to keep on watching.

I must admit to feeling slightly despondent about the state of sentai recently. It has been a difficult couple of years with a real lack of any actual substance aside from the surprisingly good Abaranger vs. Hurricanger ~ seeing the small shot of Hurricane Red taken from the Dekaranger vs. Abaranger film has fully my attention. The idea of a continuity that spans the latter vs. films is an idea that i'm completely in love with, if only for the fact that it vindicates some of my own fic aspirations. I'm prepared for it to be a mistake or a gimmick (i.e. 'Evil Monster X disguises himself and tricks abared into believing he is Hurricane Red' but the idea at the end of Abaranger vs. Hurricanger, as suggested by Nanami-chan, I believe, that the Hurri-tachi will return if they're ever needed in the fight against the Evolian is a thread that won't die. I should prepare myself to be crushed, really but, right now, this is the brightest hope 2005's sentai has offered. or perhaps not.

Having watched the aforementioned crossover film a few weeks back now was somewhat like witnessing all my hopes dashed upon the huge rocks of commercial viability. Seriously, if you want something done then you should always do it yourself.

In response to how disinterested I've become in Magiranger, I started downloading Choju Sentai Liveman simply on a whim only to discover that after three episodes it has become one of my favourite tokusatsu shows. I don't often like being drawn into the disparaging 'new tokusatsu vs. old tokusatsu' argument of various message boards but as stated in an earlier post I really can't understand why shows such as Liveman and Megaranger can have produced such decisive openings whilst later incarnations of the franchise take me six episodes or so of 'giving it a chance' before I can finally and decisively say that I'd rather not bother. The politics of tokusatsu seem somewhat absurd to me, as do the now floundering traditions of its english language fanbase.

To end things on a lighter note however, I have decided to screencap and post (for your viewing pleasure) the highlights of both Amamiya yuusuke (Red Falcon) and Oohara Jou's (Yellow Lion) amazing hairstyles. If this doesn't inspire you to watch Liveman then I don't know what will. ^_^

http://www.atpk92.dsl.pipex.com/images/liveman_2.jpg
http://www.atpk92.dsl.pipex.com/images/liveman_3.jpg
http://www.atpk92.dsl.pipex.com/images/liveman_7.jpg
http://www.atpk92.dsl.pipex.com/images/liveman_8.jpg
http://www.atpk92.dsl.pipex.com/images/liveman_10.jpg
http://www.atpk92.dsl.pipex.com/images/liveman_14.jpg
http://www.atpk92.dsl.pipex.com/images/liveman_20.jpg
http://www.atpk92.dsl.pipex.com/images/liveman_30.jpg
http://www.atpk92.dsl.pipex.com/images/liveman_32.jpg

Perhaps I do have too much time on my hands after all...

sentai_ai - http://www.livejournal.com/community/sentai_ai/

Title: Resistance
Author: automated_alice
Genre: Angst/Lust/DRABBLE
Sentai: Hurricanger
Pairing: Ikkou x Isshu
Rating: No idea
Disclaimer: Toei owns the rights to all Super Sentai characters


( Resistance )

sentai_ai - http://www.livejournal.com/community/sentai_ai/

Title: Super Sentai High School No Senshi (4/?): Aoiki Jounetsu
Author: automated_alice
Genre: Alternate universe, shonen ai
Sentai: Bakuryuu Sentai Abarenjaa/ Hyaku Juu Sentai Gaoranger
Pairing: All characters on a friendship basis. Inference of Samezu Kai (GaoBlue) x Ushigome Soutarou (GaoBlack)
Rating: U (with two swearwords)
Disclaimer: Toei owns the rights to all Super Sentai characters



( Super Sentai High School No Senshi: Aoiki Jounetsu )

sentai_ai - http://www.livejournal.com/community/sentai_ai/

Title: Loving Memory
Author: automated_alice
Genre: Angst/lust/romance
Sentai: Bakuryuu Sentai Abarenjaa
Pairing: Ryouga x Nakadai (Ryouga x Asuka + Nakadai x Asuka inferred)
Rating: PG13 tops
Disclaimer: Toei owns the rights to all Super Sentai characters
Spoiler Disclaimer: Spoilers for episode 32/33



( Loving Memory )

Current music: Koutaro Nakagawa - 15 - Ikitoshi Ikeru Mono No Tame Ni

Current music: Kishidan - Spa Tonic City Bubibubi ~reimeihen~

sentai_ai - http://www.livejournal.com/community/sentai_ai/

Title: Shinobi no Ketsui
Genre: Expanded continuity, het, major Hurricanger SPOILERS
Sentai: Ninpuu Sentai Harikenja
Pairing: Hinata Oboro x Shurikenger
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Toei owns the rights to all Super Sentai characters
banner courtesy of automated_alice



( Shinobi no Ketsui )

Current music: Hello! Project All Stars - 01 - ALL FOR ONE & ONE FOR ALL!

Girls in Trouble ~ SPOILERS for Magiranger episode #1 and Dekaranger: Full Blast Action

Over this weekend we downloaded raws of both the opening episode of Mahou Sentai Magiranger and also the Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger: Full Blast Action film. It's been a difficult journey from the initial blurred images to the opening episode of toei's 30th sentai series, for me personally at the very least. I wasn't at all impressed by the first images of the costumes and still remain unconvinced by just how awkward they really look. Over the past month of so I've become more optimistic about the show...I'd be lying if this wasn't in part thanks to the costume design of Chiaki Horan and Kitagami Tomomi's Darkstalkers-esque characters, Nai and Mea. Upon watching the first episode earlier I have to admit to mixed feelings. I don't think you can judge anything from a single episode but the displays of awkward wire work in the opening credits really unsettled me. Watching magipink spin slowly upwards into the air before landing several kicks against the show's resident henchmen left a bad taste in my mouth simply because of how reminiscent it was of the poor quality, slow motion wire gimmicks used in recent incarnations of Power Rangers. Upon seeing the involvement of the stunt team who are currently working on the current Power Ranger series and the fact that some of it was filmed in New Zealand came as a bitter revelation. I really don't want it to overshadow the things I did enjoy about the episode but i have a severe dislike for American wire work simply for the fact that they can never make it look right. For every scene that should be fluid the Americans crank the camera down (or the digital equivalent thereof) and hold the frame for a few seconds before rolling back into the action and decimating any kind of rhythm the actual scene might have aspired to have. never let an american film unit do what a chinese (or even south korean) unit could have done infinitely better.

The central characters of the series, as yet have proved mostly likeable. for the first time since Hurricanger, we are presented, in the form of Atsushi Hashimoto, with a character that may just be a convincing shounen reddo. His youthfulness and determination make him far more likeable than any of the senshi of the past two years worth of sentai shows...and when he does his angry voice he also sounds remarkably like Shun Shioya (as automated_alice pointed out to me). Whilst some of the remaining cast (Blue and Yellow specifically) come across as being undefined as of yet I have to say that both Ayumi Beppu and Yuki Ito (Pink and Green, respectively) are both likeable characters. I really don't want to sound like one of those relentless fanboys who can only bring themselves to watch sentai if there's a cute girl in the line up but I do think Ayumi has the world's greatest pink skirt. I've said enough. As for Ito ~ whilst coming across as a major league chump in the first half of the episode I can't help but give him credit for being seriously hardcore in Battle Royale II (an argument that falls to work for Mika Kikuchi).

gah. I hate to admit it but I am looking forwards to episode two and the arrival of Nai and Mea. already there is a vague notion of sentai_ai potential, the merest mention of which is going to cost me money. Not that I want to jump on the bandwagon after a single episode as I still think the series has a long way to go to prove itself. The New Zealand fight sequences are going to be a sore point for time to come and I think the awkwardness of the suits aren't going to help win my favour either. If the series doesn't provide strong character arcs then I'm really not above letting it slide but I will admit that I am at least hopeful about it. Despite the Americans, despite New Zealand, despite the retarded electric fan transubstantiation, I'm still hoping the series will deliver.

and despite myself i am in love with sister mayo's cantrip advent~magical force.

In regards to our other recent tokusatsu feature, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger: Full Blast Action, I think it's probably been more than well documented how much I dislike the source material that spawned this film. Of the seven or eight episodes I could stomach to watch each one can be filed under 'missed opportunity'. The movie however makes a nice change mostly thanks to the acting (that's right I said acting! in Dekaranger! *gasp*) of Kenichi Endou and Chiharu Niiyama. Having seen both endou and Niiyama in Azumi and Ju-on 2 respectively it was nice to see some familiar faces with some real talent taking on the two central roles of the film. I've also got to admit that i was completely suckered in by the cameos from Azu-chan and Mio fukuzumi as well as the appearance of Gokusen's Tetsu Asakura, Ken Kaneko. If the series had been as well executed as the film I think that my opinion would have been very different and whilst the main cast were as bland as ever, it was much easier to forgive them over a longer story where the sole weight of maintaining the atmosphere of the film did not rest on their shoulders. One of the most damning footnotes to the film's action however was the inclusion of Dekabreak. This was the first time I'd seen the official extra senshi of the Dekaranger team and I can't help but think that the sheer nature and number of Special Police officers made his presence somewhat irrelevant. In terms of character he presented nothing new and in terms of action sequences he might as well have been one of the five regular senshi. He came across as being sentai's most pointless extra fighter, outclassed even by a man in a dog suit.

If Magiranger holds out I might have more tolerance for the stupid manner in which certain people have decided to act within the fandom. Whatever the result I have twelve months to work out my opinions so there's no rush right now.

Current music: Yasuda Kei, Rinne, Ayaka, Matsuura Aya - Santa ga Machi ni Yattekuru (Santa Claus is Coming to Town)

sentai_ai - http://www.livejournal.com/community/sentai_ai/

Title: Super Sentai High School No Senshi (3/?): Last Christmas (I Gave You My Heart)
Genre: Alternate universe, het, bizarre love triangle
Sentai: Bakuryuu Sentai Abarenjaa
Pairing: Mahoro x Nakadai Mikoto (AbareKiller)
Rating: G
Disclaimer: Toei owns the rights to all Super Sentai characters
banner courtesy of automated_alice



( Super Sentai High School No Senshi: Last Christmas (I Gave You My Heart) )

sentai_ai - http://www.livejournal.com/community/sentai_ai/

Title: Last Song
Author: automated_alice
Genre: Angst/lust/romance
Sentai: Hurricanger
Pairing: um, well, almost IsshuxIkkou IkkouxYousuke IsshuxYousuke
Rating: PG13 or 15 by BBFC
Disclaimer: Toei owns all sentai characters, I've just borrowed them...and demented them.



( Last Song )

Current music: Morning Musume - shabondama (Asia Mix)

Whilst watching the second episode of the mighty, mighty Gokusen as expertly subtitled by the mighty, mighty SARS-Fansub group, the roving eye of boylove detective extraordinaire automated_alice noted that the episode's main antagonist was none other than Kotaro Tanaka, the man who tried to make wearing white in gravel pits look fashionable during the later arcs of 2003's Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger.

For your own perverse entertainment pictures of Rije-chan's favourite boy reside below...


Minami (Gokusen-boy) VS...


The young Doctor Nakadai (Abare-boy)!


ROUND ONE...


Date!


Nakadai prepares to seal the date with a kiss.


Petulance #1.


Petulance #2.