Toqger Returns Released

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Toqger Returns Released

Post by takenoko »

Wiki: http://wiki.tvnihon.com/wiki/Ressha_Sen ... er_Returns

Wow, fantastic. With no exaggeration, I think that's the best standalone Sentai story that I've seen?

First, let's talk staff. I think this is Arakawa Fumie's directorial debut. She's done some work as an assistant director for Sentai movies, but this is her first movie on her own. And I think it's really well done. Plus, this is the first female director for a Toei work that I know about. If there are others, please let me know, since I think the subject of female staff on toku is really interesting. (Frankly, I can't think of any female directors for any of the Japanese stuff that I've seen. But that could just be ignorance talking.)


Kobayashi Yasuko doesn't write this movie, but it sure feels like it. Aikawa Shou does an impressive job of capturing what a Kobayashi Yasuko work feels like (Aikawa wrote half the episodes for Blade and Boukenger, as well as a third of the Decade stories). So apologies to Aikawa-san, but I'm going to spend this time to talk about why Kobayashi's stories are really effective. Kobayashi is really good at writing a story about the human experience. Den-O is about time travel, but ultimately it's about making choices and regretting them (and fixing them). Shinkenger could have just been swords swords swords, clash clash clash and nothing else, but it's really transcendent since it's about the people who wield those swords. It's basically a story about relationships. It's about people coping with concepts like hierarchy, tradition, inheritance, duty, etc.

The stories where the world's at stake tend to suck as stories. It's never ever going to be anything more than "Let's combine our firepower and blow away the bad guy." A really good story works on many levels. It's the story that's on paper, but it's also the story of humanity. Toqger Returns succeeds because it tells little stories that regular people will find familiar. I mean, I do feel like sad or tragic movies are often compelling because they've got the bite of reality in them. But the potential or the implication of sadness can be pretty effective too. Basically, a story's got to have some consequences.

It tells stories about friends moving away and saying goodbye to them. About growing up and becoming a boring, close-minded adult. About a part of your life ending. I really hate the story of Peter Pan. If you can just go away and be young forever, that's awesome, but that's a fantasy. The real way to keep your childhood alive is to just remember it, to keep an open mind to possibilities, and to not be afraid to have imagination. I mean, you saw the movie. As adults, they're like "No. We're adults. We know better." And to be fair, adults usually have a better perspective on things because they have that life experience. But that can also cut them off from other options, since they aren't as willing to experiment and to fail and to look as lame as kids and teens do.

So let's talk about the actual movie. I think it really capitalizes on all the aspects of the Toqgers. Both children and adult versions play a prominent role. We have a plot that centers around Rokugou (even if he really only shows up at the end). We have a little evolution from the TV series (Wagon becoming the Conductor, Conductor becoming TOQ 7, even if only as a joke).

We have a kaijin whose motivations are based on friendship. Whaaa? Because "Oh right, the Shadow Line aren't just monsters, they have their own personalities and exist in their own society. That totally makes sense!" Also, they bring back the Shadow Line commanders and Nero tries to do his rollcall thing again. That's an amazing callback.

Like one of my favorite seasons of Fringe, this is awesome storytelling, because the characters are essentially interacting with themselves. It's just that they represent different aspects within them, just as we all have different aspects within ourselves. I think that disparity is interesting and cool.

And the friendship between Akira and the Toqgers as well as Akira and Tank Top Shadow is really good.

Finally, finally, the modified opening sequence AS the ending sequence and final fight was so perfect, I don't know if any other toku ending will be able to match it in how perfect it was. All friends are found and together again, they beat the baddie, high five celebration and end. Great.
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by VerusMaya II »

Akira shirtless and in chains is way more hot than it has any right to be. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I thought it was clever usage of camera angles to make the kid-Toqgers sorta look like kids when fighting, but in some shots it still looks like adult suit actors. They still match the height of the Kurous, but are shorter than Akira/ToQ 6's suit actor. Has it always been that way? I'm pretty sure they're adult suit actors when in the mecha... Oh, as I'm writing this they don't even try to hide the heights during the roll call. Oh well.

Akira's only friends are a bunch of kids. He's kind of a glorified baby-sitter.

I'd wear Conductor's pants irl. Wagon's Sailor Moon henshin, hell yeah.
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by takenoko »

I'm always confused by the children Toqgers, since they're obviously a second group since both set appears in the mecha. Sooo... who plays those roles?

I forgot to mention that shirtless Akira makes him look like a firefighter stripper. Especially with his 'met.
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by xiiliea »

takenoko wrote:I'm always confused by the children Toqgers, since they're obviously a second group since both set appears in the mecha. Sooo... who plays those roles?
Stuntchildren of course!
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by Slyder5597 »

Just QC'd the ToQger returns movie and could be being completely stupid, but I can't seem to recognize this guy. http://puu.sh/iMDWh/73302ee2de.PNG Can someone help?
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by DaVinci030 »

Slyder5597 wrote:but I can't seem to recognize this guy. http://puu.sh/iMDWh/73302ee2de.PNG Can someone help?
That's the voice actor Namikawa Daisuke. He voiced Engine Speedor of Go-Onger and Leon Luis of Garo Anime.

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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by takenoko »

Slyder5597: For casting questions like that, you can usually see the answer in the wiki link that I provide in the first post.
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by Slyder5597 »

Well, thanks. Didn't realize these threads existed. Thank you Take, DaVinci, and whoever moved my post to this thread (where it should have been in the first place)
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by Lunagel »

Wow. That was definitely the best Sentai movie ever. I mean...wow.

There was a good mix of humor and seriousness. It definitely highlighted the grown-up aspects of the Toqgers and how as grownups they lose their imagination, even Right. And that's not a bad thing, it's just a part of growing up, but you can always find it again. In some ways, I think this actually improved the show for me because what is tolerable in a child is more irritating in an adult, and here we see that they're just normal adults, but they were always children during their time on the Rainbow Line. If I can see them more as children in adult bodies and less as childish adults then I don't mind Right's antics as much.

This is really perfection, it's everything you want in a sentai movie. Callbacks to the show, great new villains and old ones, shirtless men (whoohoo!), and a strong sense of camaraderie and friendship.

Unfortunately I think it also highlights just how wrong Ninninger is going but that's a topic for another thread.
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by Slowking »

Excellent movie.

I really enjoyed the narrative and they did well with all the time paradox-related issues.

Great story and emphasis on the main theme of Imagination, without making it boring. The scene with the adult Toqger being able to henshin once again was touching.

Enjoyed the end fight with the Toqger theme, it's nice to see movies end somewhat differently.

Glitter~

I really missed the Toqger. Both the show and the movie have a lot of heart.
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by Phoenix512 »

The one thing I was trying to figure out is how the old Toqgers are. I'm guessing 20 at 2025 which would make them 12 at 2017. So they were 9 during the series if it occurred during 2014.

The original KyouryuuViolet and now TOQ 7 might begin a new trend of middle age men with fragile backs taking up the purple color. Also this movie increases my prediction that there won't be a Ninninger VS Toqger but rather the Super Ninninger Ninja Team Up with cameo the Toqgers since they would have to do some plot device to get the adult Toqgers or just go the Den-O route and just have the kids be them instead.

Isn't it a bit weird to have Tank Top Shadow being on Akira for the entire TV series and suddenly he appears now?

I can't be the only one who thought it was weird that kid Mio didn't wear a skirt for the graduation scene.

Adult Kagura looks so much better without the twin tails.

I keep thinking of things about this so here's a new one. For a special that has TOQ-7 in the title, he didn't really show up all that much. It was two scenes. I would probably done something like "Return of Victorious Imagination" or something like that since TOQ-7 really has no impact to the special.
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by Masked Rider »

That was a very cool movie. Loved seeing the kiddies team up with their adult counterparts. And I agree, Kagura looks so much better without those pig tails. The most fun was hearing both adult and child Kagura say, "Hai" together.

For the Junction video, from the third junction on, "Full speead ahead"?
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by takenoko »

Yikes, that's what happens when you skip qc!

Edit: Looks like the Densha Ga Kimasu song is messed up too. Will be releasing a v2 soon.

Toq Junctions: https://www.sendspace.com/file/zytuno
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by 09MurphyM »

What exactly are the Junctions anyway?
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Re: Toqger Returns Released

Post by takenoko »

They're the short clip that plays at the end of the anime show that precedes Toqger. So the anime from 7-7:30 airs, then they show the junction clip to announce that Toqger will air at 7:30.

Normally, Sentai DVDs and Blu-rays don't tend to include these. For Rider junctions, they film actual new footage for them. But Sentai junctions are almost always reused footage. Besides Toqger, I can only think of MagiRanger having junctions as a bonus. There might be more, but I rarely collect sentai DVDs.
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