Ohranger Episodes 17-19

EPISODES 17 & 18

Really good episodes that are marred by guest-star Isamu Ichikawa, who's never capable of just playing a role straight, he has to go to full ham, mugging, never taking anything seriously or making a connection with the character or material. They needed somebody MUCH better for the role of Kuroda...

Because Kuroda is one sick sonuva. Just a nasty piece of work who's in a dark place after the death of his wife and son, so he's lost faith in humanity, lost faith in God. He sees the Baranoia as the reckoning he thinks Earth deserves and wants to be a part of it. (He built an android in his son's likeness who he says he loves more than his actual son, who he deems weak since he died. Horrible.) In stories like these, it's only a matter of time before some human scientist scumbag starts admiring the machines and wants to become one and join them, and this is Ohranger's take. It's too good of an idea for just a two-parter, Kuroda's too good of a character to just slip through the fingers as a guest.

This could have easily gone a few episodes more. Or better yet? Have Kuroda be the Sixth Villain. He does come along at a time when a Sixth Villain usually does. So, I kinda wonder if that was the real intention of Sugimura's way back, but with the show's having to change its tone, he had to scrap this dark and disturbing plan and was only allowed to go with this condensed version. If Genius Kuroda was the Sixth Villain -- a renegade who begins his own group of cyborgs -- then that would certainly necessitate the glut of Bandai products the Ohranger are about to receive.

Makes more sense as a new villain than Bomber the Not-so-Great.

It's unfortunate these episodes coincide with the Let's-Show-Off-Rindo-Lake-Who's-Paying-Us-Nicely; this leads to some silly ass scenes of battles in pedal boats and go-carts, which mar the serious storyline. I love how the team is urgently trying to track down Yuuji's stolen Power Brace and Shouhei chooses to do so by riding in a kids' bus that goes about one inch per hour. (There's also this weird bit when Oh Red is escaping Barlow soldiers by go-cart and he leans his head back in laughter; a weird choice by Yokoyama.)

The part when Kuroda has been modified with robotic parts by the Baranoia is cool; his new form's well designed and it's filmed in an appropriately creepy way, with a lot of chaotic tentacles and lights flashing -- obviously a Yamaoka scene, since it's reminiscent of things he'd done in Jiban. The problem? Ichikawa, of course, whose performance suffers even more because he's obviously uncomfortable in the suit.

I'd rather it be someone like Yoshinori Okamoto playing Kuroda. That's not the perfect casting, but I think he would have nailed the angry side of the character, and we know he wouldn't have been awkward in-suit. Or you know who would have really been awesome? Shuuhei Saga.

Shuuhei Saga and Yoshinori Okamoto, my picks as Kuroda...especially if Kuroda became a regular!

 

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EPISODE 19

This one's kind of a glimpse of the dark days ahead of Ohranger: a new toy for no good or real purpose. Ohranger wants to be an anniversary celebration, evoking the past while delivering a modern product and here it glimpses to the future, to the modern era that's all about toys and toys and nothing but toys and fuck any storytelling to back it up. (And despite being an unpopular show, Ohranger's toys sold well, which is not only baffling, but teaches the higher-ups the wrong lesson.)

Soda writes this one and, as I've always said, it's a condensed version of his Galaxy Robo storyline from Maskman. The difference is that the scientist who died because he couldn't control Galaxy Robo's wild, emotional rampaging was just basically in over his head; here it's a panicky UAOH soldier who takes Red Puncher out before it's ready to go. The other difference is that in Maskman, we follow the scientist's traumatized teen daughter and here it's the soldier's kid sister, because of course it's a kid, because Ohranger is Sugimura's world and Soda's just playing in it.

This is, of course, the point in a '90s Sentai when they're getting a new hero and/or robot, so it's expected. But there's just no rhyme or reason for them to be getting Red Puncher here. Ohranger Robo suffers a generic defeat and while it's being repaired, Goro makes the pretty reckless decision to seek out Red Puncher. Sure, it works out for him -- and for Bandai -- but there's just no need for it, man. The monster wasn't that memorable, the struggle wasn't that bad, the urgency isn't there. They get it because Bandai demands it.

It again makes me wonder if Genius Kuroda was meant to hang around and cause some shit with his own robotic creations and this is where the need for Red Puncher would come in, so once that was scrapped, we're left with this barebones premise.

Familiar Face of Sentai Past: Kei Shindachiya, aka Ken/Five Blue.