Zenkaiger 01 released

[Gokider]

Is it just me or are there a lot of similarities to Zi-O?

Zenkaizer looks like Zi-O (particularly the Sentai V resembling the clock hands), the first episode has the two main rangers appear and transform (red may be for Super Sentai significance, but it still resembles Geiz), and the past series are represented by round objects with numbers on them that are spun to be used (watches and gears often being associated anyways).

Also, with the Kikainoids going mech size and Gaon being voiced by Yuki Kaji, how many Eren Jeager jokes are there going to be?

[AlternateTrigger]

There is a quote out there somewhere that I'm too busy to look up right now (i'm writing this while waiting for calls at my job shhh don't tell anyone) who said something about people being too obsessed with cannon to tell a good story. When I look over this previous 3 pages of forum, that quote came to mind. If I get a chance to find it later, I'll update my post with the quote.

Edit: Found it. Leonard Nimoy said it in 2009.
"Canon is only important to certain people because they have to cling to their knowledge of the minutiae, open your mind. Be a 'Star Trek' fan and open your mind say, 'Where does Star Trek want to take me now'."

Now obviously that was Star Trek but I feel it applies here.

[Aeikozz]

So just so everyone is clear right now. The enemy has the ability to end this like right now. with a press of a button they could just finish the job. But they're choosing not to? Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh....

I'm trying soo hard to give this show a chance i really really am.

[AlternateTrigger]

So just so everyone is clear right now. The enemy has the ability to end this like right now. with a press of a button they could just finish the job. But they're choosing not to? Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh....

They said in the show why they can't. Because their world is half combined with it already so if they tried, they would be sealing off their own world to.

[resop2]

I think I know where the parents are right now: they are running a cafe where the staff dresses in cosplay for different events.

[Dante ShadowRoadz]

Well I can't say I was expecting anything per se, but I'm not sure whether it delivered or not? Anniversary seasons have been veering more towards hit or miss with each one Toei has done and this one while it feels like it could be fun, I'm wondering how much of it is going to be affected by the pandemic. The jokes aside, they really had to go wayyyy further out of their way to make robot team members a thing this time around and keep more than one or two people unmasked at a reasonable time and distance. I don't doubt Japan of all countries to be able to work around it and still make it fit to their unique aesthetics, but the signs are already there.

On its own as a season, it's got a decent start though, I'm not immediately annoyed with the 'quirk' of the new team leader as I am with a couple of the recent Reds. I will also give the season credit that it isn't making it all about power collecting, from what we've seen they already have abilities based off of previous Sentai but not actually using those distinct powers. But it may depend on how they explain the whole 'this has been sitting for a decade now, lucky we have it' part of the plot.

I can already guess that Zenkaiser is the 'core pilot' and that the other four will probably be swapping through different Zord armors/colors for the different Mega combinations, which isn't a terrible choice for a new direction, honestly. If they can make it work, I'll definitely stay on board and see how it goes.

[takenoko]

Wait, did they say why they couldn't finish the job? All the science dude said was that he made no progress in a month

[hiro9796]

Are you guys going to post on the blog for every new episode/movie/extras release for Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger as Covid Sentai Singleranger for an entire year?
Just asking by the way.

[deuxcolors]

Wait, did they say why they couldn't finish the job? All the science dude said was that he made no progress in a month

No they didn't, but they did aknowledge that Robo dimension and Earth had merged.
By logic that would explain why they couldn't lock away the final dimension.

If it only has been a month I'm surprised at the speed of integration between the Kikanoids and humans.

[JustiFanV2]

Wait, did they say why they couldn't finish the job? All the science dude said was that he made no progress in a month

Which is the bit that made me chuckle a little, to be honest. Seemingly they managed to conquer/capture 44 different Sentai-filled worlds within seconds, but they're having such trouble with a world which at that point didn't even have a team to protect it yet. I don't remember them giving an explanation for it either, though the "half-combined with our own world" theory sounds plausible enough to me.

I read about a theory on another forum the other day, and I'm not sure but I think said theory actually came from somewhere else that somebody then applied to Zenkaiger as well. I can't remember the exact wording off-hand but the gist is that each Sentai season could be in its own separate parallel world but these parallel worlds float around and so will sometimes overlap for a while, resulting in a temporary sharing of history and memories before drifting apart again. This explanation allows for team-up events and the like while also meaning each season can have their own separate story and events which may well contradict other seasons under normal circumstances.

It may come across as a somewhat handwave-y explanation but to be honest I'd be happy to buy into it. You could also apply the same approach to Power Rangers, Kamen Rider... pretty much any toku really.

Other random thoughts:

- No ending theme, which initially surprises me because I figured they wouldn't let a big anniversary season go by without a dance sequence, but they're dancing in the OP instead so there you go.

- I'm nitpicking but I'm not a fan of characters talking over a part of the OP sequence. It kind of ruins the flow of the otherwise enjoyable song for me - and presumably they'll be doing that every episode.

- Honestly very surprised that they're actually crediting the voice actors for the "robot Rangers" in the OP. Kyuranger never did that!

- So Kaito's parents created the Sentai Gears following their research into other worlds, and the transformation gears (which show each Ranger's "morphed" form (to borrow the PR term)) already existed prior to the Kikanoids arriving on their own world. Did they already foresee this was going to happen and somehow know that most of these powers would be used by robots?

- I spent a great deal of this episode just wondering how these robots are able to eat food...

[TheNinjaDragon]

Wasn't Kyuranger confirmed to be from an alternate universe before this show happened? Maybe they could help assemble the pieces, as much as the toku community hates that show. But that's a discussion for an appropriate thread.

- I'm nitpicking but I'm not a fan of characters talking over a part of the OP sequence. It kind of ruins the flow of the otherwise enjoyable song for me - and presumably they'll be doing that every episode.

If it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one.

[Kuchiri]

Am I the only one with the next episode preview getting Shougeki Gouraidan vibes from this.

Aside from that, Loving the Megazord head for Zyuran when he transforms. It's a very nice touch.

[CaptainTalon449]

Next episode is gonna be weird. Gaon is voiced by Yuki Kaji who is no stranger to playing dudes that turn into titans and have half powers

[resop2]

I once had an idea for a zombie apocalypse that was more in line with how zombie apocalypses actually work in nature: someone in a military lab weaponizes the mold ophiocordyceps unilateralis to attack humans rather than ants. The victims first appear to have mental health problems: confusion, disinterest, lack of caring. Then the victims become homeless and wander around with a stumbling gait. Then they find a way to climb to the roof of a high building to die. Finally, a giant mushroom grows out of their head to release trillions of spores into the air.

The teaser for next week's episode was rather triggering.

[TorchWood]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not feeling this series like I did with GoKaiger. I getting the vibe that this is a Satire Sentai series rather than a Serious Sentai series.