OOO Driver

OOO’s henshin belt is the OOO Driver. “Driver” seems to be the new standard term for henshin belts, a bit of a shame they don’t come up with more unique names anymore. Names aside, the OOO Driver itself is pretty nice. The buckle is glossy black and silver with metallic blue “circuit” detailing. When wearing the belt, on your left hip is a small holder for easy access to up to six OOO Medals. This holder is amusingly styled after the type of belt mounted change holders a vendor on the street might use. On your right hip is the OOO Scanner, where all the electronics and magic really reside. I’ll discuss that more in a bit, but on the belt it has its own holster clip, keeping it securely in place when not in use. The straps for the belt also feature release buttons, allowing them to be easily detached from the buckle for display if you prefer.

OOO Medals

The central theme of Kamen Rider OOO is OOO Medals. Each medal bears the crest of a particular animal, and grants OOO a unique power. Medals are primarily classified as Core Medals or Cell Medals, shown above the translucent Condor Core next to the dull gray Condor Cell. Core Medals are the “core” of the beings called Greeeds. Each Greeed has nine cores: 3 head cores, 3 body cores, and three leg cores. Which part of the body the core corresponds to is indicated by bars on the back of the medal: 1 for head, 2 for body, 3 for legs. You can see the back of the Kamakiri Core on the right has two bars, indicating it is a body core. Cell Medals “stick” to core medals to form the remainder of a Greeed’s body mass, and can be created by having a creature called a Yummy feed off human desire. In the context of the toys, Core Medals are made of translucent plastic with a gold painted metal ring. These medals feel very substantial when held, and are very nicely made.

Cell Medals are made from simple, unpainted gray plastic. This indicates their relatively lower value, and are not functionally interchangeable with the Core Medals. On the back of Cell Medals is a large “X”, since they do not activate any power for OOO (though they are utilized by Kamen Rider Birth).

Inside each medal is an RFID chip, which is activated and read when the OOO Scanner passes over it. This is the same technology being applied to credit cards and passports, allowing you to wave them near a pad for them to be read. IMO, this technology is better applied to toys, since the security implications make me cringe.

To use the OOO Driver, load three medals into it. They should be, in order, one head core, one body core, and one leg core. Above we see the three medals that make up OOO’s “default” form: Taka (head), Tora (body) and Batta (legs). In practice, the toy doesn’t really care. Put them out of order, use three head cores, use cell medals, it’ll still work in a basic sense. Once the medals are loaded, the front part of the buckle can be tilted to prepare for scanning.

OOO Scanner

Take the OOO Scanner, and squeeze the large button hidden inside its grip area. This will cause the scanner to light up and begin making a pulsing standby sound. Starting from your right with the head medal, run the scanner through the track along the bottom edge of the buckle so it passes over each medal in turn. As you pass the medals, the red lights along the front edge will illuminate one by one. If you go slowly, the scanner will announce the name of each medal as you pass. If you go quickly, it will announce them all at the end. Make sure to catch the hidden sensor at the end of the buckle to signal the scanner you’re done. The OOO Scanner will announce the names of the medals, then play a sound effect. The effect you get will either be generic, or a unique “jingle” if you scanned a special combo. The above set is OOO’s default TaToBa Combo. The scanner will play the special jingle for the combo: “Ta-To-Ba TaToBa Ta-To-Ba!” All the other combos are made up by using all three medals of the same color. These single color combos also get a sound effect related to the animal group they represent (screeching bird, buzzing insects, etc.) Here is the list:

TaToBa — Taka • Tora • Batta, OOO default combo
RaToraTah — Lion • Tora • Cheetah, cat combo
GataKiriBa — Kuwagata • Kamakiri • Batta, insect combo
SaGouZou — Sai • Gorilla • Zou, large mammal combo
TaJaDoru — Taka • Kujaku • Condor, bird combo
ShaUTa — Shachi • Unagi • Tako, aquatic combo
PuToTyra — Ptera • Tricera • Tyranno, dinosaur combo (in the show, these medals cannot mix with other medals)
BuraKaWani — Cobra • Kame • Wani, reptile combo (movie exclusive)

To use OOO’s hissastsu techniques, scan the same set of medals you just scanned a second time, and the OOO Scanner will announce “Scanning Charge!” It will then play the combo’s animal noise if applicable, followed by a hissastsu sound effect.

OOO Medal Holder

It’s not long before the number of medals OOO and his partner Ankh are using becomes a bit difficult to manage. They begin to use a special OOO Medal Holder, which of course Bandai produced and sold. For what it is, it’s actually pretty nice. It’s made of the same glossy black plastic with metallic blue detailing as the OOO Driver. It has a really solid hinge, and two slide locks to keep it from spilling open. Inside, it’s lined with a sort of stiff foam rubber with cutouts for 24 medals. The medals fit snugly into the cutouts and do not tend to fall out. For what it is, it’s a pretty nice little piece, and a stylish way to house and protect the investment you made in all those medals. Shown here is my collection, featuring all 18 Core Medals from the TV series, and the Condor Cell which comes with the case itself. These are all the “deluxe” versions of the medals, rather than the gashapon or candy toy versions which are slightly lower quality. Here’s the breakdown of where the deluxe cores come from:

OOO Driver: Taka, Tora, Batta, Kamakiri
Medal Set o1: Lion, Cheetah, Kuwagata
Medal Set 02: Sai, Gorilla, Zou
TaJa Spinner: Kujaku, Condor
Medal Set 03: Shachi, Unagi, Tako
Medal Set 04: Ptera, Tricera, Tyranno

The Cobra, Kame and Wani cores come in Medal Set SP, which I haven’t been able to get ahold of yet. There’s also Medal Set EX, featuring the Cores from Kamen Rider OOO & W feat. Skull: Movie War Core, but their names aren’t actually spoken by the OOO Scanner. A few promotional medals like a kangaroo have also been released as magazine premiums in Japan, and they actually do work, though they aren’t part of any combo.

TaJa Spinner

Though each body medal features a “weapon”, like the Tora Claws or the Kamakiri Blades, only two were released as actual toys: the TaJa Spinner and MedaGabuRyu. TaJa Spinner appears on the left arm whenever the Kujaku Core is used. In form, it’s sort of a small shield, looking like a giant Core Medal featuring the crest of the TaJaDoru combo. Detailing as expected of Bandai’s DX role play toys, is nice, but I feel like its design could use more variation of color. Its overall effect is rather bland. Functionality is also not all that great. There’s a trigger on the hand grip (which may be too small for adult hands). Pushing the trigger plays a sound of a fireball being launched, but a light on the front would have sold this much better.

TaJa Spinner is able to activate its own hissastu attack separate from Scanning Charge. To do this, open the TaJa Spinner and fill it with seven medals of any kind. Close the cover, and pull back the handle. When the OOO Scanner is set in the track at the front, it’ll press a button causing the medals inside to rapidly spin past. After they’ve all passed, push the scanner the rest of the way through to catch another sensor. It will announce the names of the first six medals that passed it, then say “Giga Scan!” After this, the trigger on the TaJa Spinner will play a bigger attack sound effect. Why they include space for seven medals when only six matter is curious. It seems they could’ve spaced them out and adjusted the timing so everything would just work with six, if that’s all the memory in the scanner can handle.

The OOO Driver is great. The medal system allows for a lot of variation, and they’re neat little collectibles. The belt itself is a blast, though the cost to get all the medals can be daunting. Try not to get scalped on the price of the medal sets, they’re not worth more than 1500 yen at most. The TaJa Spinner is a little more lacklustre. I just somehow expected… more. Even just the addition of a light on the front would have been a big improvement. If all you want is the Kujaku and Condor Cores, you may want to consider getting the gashapon or candy toy versions.

This special continues the TV series based off a novel about the keen-eyed detective, Kaga Kyoichiro (Abe Hiroshi), and the crimes he solves in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. However, this special takes place in Nerima, two years prior to his transfer to Nihonbashi. A little girl has been murdered and when Kaga is put on the case alongside his cousin, Shuhei (Mizobata Junpei), he’s immediately intrigued by the strange circumstances around one family…

Since the TV series was pretty open and shut with it’s plot, this two-hour special serves as a prequel of what happened before Kaga’s transfer to a new district. Nevertheless, it still retains the same curious and slightly serious atmosphere. Only difference is that there’s more focus on the suspects from the start of the crime. This doesn’t necessarily spoil too much as there’s still a surprise at the end and a heartfelt confession.

Abe is spot on as the enigmatic and intuitive Kaga. And the actors playing the Maehara family (Sasaki Sumie, Sugimoto Tetta , and Nishida Naomi) are excellent in their roles as a partially broken family. Shuhei and Ami (Kuroki Meisa) are sort of pushed to the background and don’t get too much character development. There is a side story involving Kaga’s father that does include Shuhei but the focus of that subplot is more on Kaga, indirectly, while his cousin is made a bystander. That’s the only noticeable flaw of this special. Because much of the focus is on the Maehara family and slightly furthering Kaga’s character, anyone new wouldn’t have a good grasp of the main characters of the series; just a glimpse.

For anyone who loved the TV series, Akai Yubi will be just as enjoyable to watch. Newcomers will probably feel a little left in the dark about the importance of Shuhei and Ami. But since the special takes on a theme about family having those two pushed aside becomes logical. I still would recommend this special just because the acting is pretty good.

GouJyuuDrill

Using the Grand Power of Mirai Sentai Timeranger, GokaiSilver can summon GouJyuuDrill through a time portal. Though he uses TimeFire’s key to activate the power, the idea of a ship seems to relate more to TimeJet Gamma than to TimeFire’s V-Rex. Also, I don’t own V-Rex as it’s huge and expensive. There’s not a whole lot to directly compare to TimeJet Gamma besides GouJyuuDrill’s vaguely triangular shape. For the most part, this mode is a concession to the other two, so it’s a bit of a mess. I find this mode somewhat unstable as well, since the front drill part comes off very easily. The main gimmick of the toy is that the drill features a wind up motor, and that is functional in this mode.

GouJyuuRex

Using the DragonRanger key activates the Grand Power of Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger, famous in the US as the basis for Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. GouJyuuDrill transforms into GouJyuuRex! GouJyuuRex is an obvious tribute to Dragon Caesar, given the drill tail and the now paleontologically incorrect posture. GouJyuuRex features good articulation at the hips, knees, ankles, shoulders, elbows, and fingers. He can also open his mouth, but this is really part of a later transformation. The wind-up drill also still works on his tail, a cool feature sadly missing from Dragon Caesar.

GouJyuuJin

AbareKiller gives activates Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger’s Grand Power, and GouJyuuJin finally appears! Again, though GokaiSilver accesses it through AbareKiller’s key, GouJyuuJin is obviously referencing AbarenOh rather than KillerOh. Though they keep their drills on opposite arms, that’s the most striking common feature, along with the large T-Rex feet. GouJyuuJin has excellent posability, a feature that also hails back to AbarenOh. GouJyuuJin can actually outdo AbarenOh by coming to a full kneeling position, as a consequence of how the legs must be for GouJyuuRex. As GouJyuuJin, both the drill arm and T-Rex head arm can wind up and spin. Unique to this form is how they’re activated, a small dial on the back that functions similarly to GokaiOh’s GokaiDial. Turning the dial to the right activates the left arm, then the right. Turning the dial to the left activates both simultaneously.

GouJyuuJin also features two alternate weapon modes for the drill arm. The first is referred to as “shield mode” and it mostly used to spin and block attacks. This mode is extremely reminiscent of the spinning tail weapon used by Dinobot in Transformers: Beast Wars, to the extent that I wouldn’t believe the designer wasn’t inspired by Dinobot. The other alternate mode is a trident, similar to the trident that GokaiSilver himself uses.

GouJyuuGokaiOh

One last thing is the interaction with GokaiOh. GouJyuuJin once again uses the standard Super Sentai arm joint, so swapping arms with many mecha of recent years is possible. More to the point though, GouJyuuJin’s motorized features are compatible with GokaiOh’s Open Gimmick, by way of the same pins that push out through the arm joint when the dial is turned. GouJyuuJin’s instructions demonstrate GouJyuuGokaiOh by swapping GouJyuuJin’s arms onto GokaiOh. Spinning GokaiOh’s GokaiDial will activate the spinning motors in place of opening the doors on GokaiJet and GokaiRacer. This combo has not been used on the show, and I’m not sure it ever will, but there it is. Likewise, you can put GokaiOh’s arms onto GouJyuuJin and they will pop open when the dial is turned.

GouJyuuJin is awesome. Unlike GokaiOh, it’s got a lot of play value all by itself thanks to being a triple changer, and the outstanding posability (by DX Sentai mecha standards). The wind up feature is surprisingly fun, and much less expensive than an electronic version. I’d recommend it to anybody who likes the DX Sentai mecha toys, even if you don’t have GokaiOh.

This curious little show aired in the spring season of 2010 and stars Abe Hiroshi, one of the better actors in Japan in my opinion. Shinzanmono is about Kaga Kyoichiro, an attentive and clever detective who has recently transferred to the Nihonbashi police precinct. When a woman new to Ningyo Town, Mitsui Mineko (Harada Mieko), is murdered Kaga, his cousin Shuhei (Mizobata Junpei), and a few other veteran detectives at the precinct take on the case. But it soon becomes obvious that solving the mystery won’t be easy when several residents of Ningyo Town end up becoming suspects.

Even though most police dramas tend to take on a serious tone within the first few minutes of the first episodes, Shinzanmono establishes a light-hearted side nature provided by Abe’s character, Kaga. The detective, while serious about his work, also seems a little laid back chatting casually while questioning the residents. He also gets involved in a small running gag where he’s unable to purchase a famous pastry in Ningyo Town because of various disruptions. Kaga aside, other major characters are fleshed out fairly well like local part-time reporter Ami (Kuroki Meisa) and the Kiyose family whom the case revolves around.

The show somewhat follows the structure of introducing the “central character” of each episode and proceeds with the Nihonbashi precinct following evidence tied to that character, even if it’s an indirect connection. So each episode usually features a character with a unique or strong personality keeping the show feeling fresh and continuing the air of mystery of who the next suspect will be and what they’ll be like.

Being based off a book, the story does have many layers but is still easy to follow as mini-mysteries that are solved and are not imperative to the plot are quickly left behind. Abe puts on a fun performance as Kaga and his supporting actors are equally entertaining. So far, this is one on my list of favorite J-Dramas as it’s well-rounded with few flaws that hold it back.

Mobirates is big. Really big. Sentai phone changers are already much bigger than real-life cell phones. I wouldn’t want to have something the size of the Magirangers’ MagiPhone in my pocket all the time. Even then, as you can see in the photo above Mobirates (left) completely dwarfs MagiPhone (right). Wow. The size is good and bad. Role play toys are typically made under scale to suit children, so it’s nice to have something with some bulk. On the other hand, holding this thing up to your head like a phone demonstrates how ridiculously out of scale it is with real phones. Especially given the part extending out of the back, I would’ve liked to see some sort of holster or method for attaching it to a belt included, as it’s impossible to pocket. Aside from size, Mobirates shows some nice texture detailing in the red areas, contrasting with the smooth glossy parts. The leather-like texture with the gold fittings also helps sell visually the idea that maybe it does come from the high seas of the 17th century.

Open, we see the top “screen” featuring a pair of cutlasses and a small red LED in the center. On the bottom we have a keyhole which serves the phone’s main gimmick, and the keypad in a font reminiscent of the time period of pirates. There’s more of the nice red texture around the keypad, along with some gold detailing around the key hole. Only the white keys work, the star burst in the top center functions as “enter”. There are numerous codes that can be keyed in to make Mobirates call out something, I’ll list a few here.

0001–0035 — Says the name of the appropriate Sentai team, Goranger through Gokaiger
1992, 2001–2005, 2008–2011 — Says “Gattai!”, then the name of the mecha corresponding to that year’s team, followed by one of “Iku ze!”, “Hasshin!” or “Ganbare!” (Odd that Daizyujin is specifically included while DaiBouken and GekiTouja are skipped)
5091 — Hasshin! Go~kaiMachine!
5501 — Hasshin! Go~kaiGalleon!

There are numerous others, including a few somewhat silly holiday greetings, various cheers for the Gokaigers, etc. A full list can be found here. You’ll need to be able to read Japanese to see what each code is, but at least you can see which numbers will in fact do something.

In order to henshin with Mobirates, you don’t actually use the keypad. Instead, you use an item called a Ranger Key. When the 34 previous Sentai teams lost their powers defending Earth from the Zangyack Empire, the powers were sealed in Ranger Keys and scattered throughout the universe. AkaRed was able to gather all the keys aside from the additional (6th, 7th, etc) Rangers and passed them onto Marvelous who became GokaiRed. To begin, they must transform using their respective Gokaiger key. Ranger Keys begin as a little figurine of the Ranger they embody. To turn them into a key, just flip their arms up, then the legs to reveal the actual key part. The Ranger Keys have a decent amount of detail for their size. It should be noted though the ones that come from gashapon or candy toys have stickers instead of painted details.

To activate Mobirates’ henshin mode, insert a Ranger Key, turn it, and of course call out the henshin phrase “Gokai Change!” The cutlasses on top will rearrange to form a crossed image, and reveal the skull/Ranger Key to complete the Gokaigers’ logo. The red LED will flash, and Mobirates will call out the name of the appropriate team followed by a henshin sound. Gokaiger keys have a unique henshin sound, all others use a generic one.

I actually bought my Mobirates as part of the “Narikiri Set” (Roleplay Set) which includes the Gokaigers’ belt GokaiBuckle, and the first additional Ranger Key set. In the show, the Gokaigers are able to think of the key they want, and it will appear from the GokaiBuckle when the big button on top is pressed. Then, they’re able to “Gokai Change” at will into any previous Sentai member (even if it doesn’t match their color or gender). Obviously the toy can’t make things appear from nowhere, but you can put one in beforehand, then take it back out. That’s… all it does. As a belt, it’s large and rather garish. It looks like a championship belt. As part of the set, it’s not a bad inclusion, but I wouldn’t buy it on its own.

Finally, here are the 10 keys that come with the Narikiri Set. For those keeping score, here’s which keys come with what if you buy them separately:

Mobirates: GokaiRed, ShinkenRed, Go-OnRed
GokaiBuckle: GokaiPink, GokaiGreen
Ranger Key Set 01: VulEagle, GaoRed, DekaRed, MagiRed, GekiRed

GokaiBlue and GokaiYellow come with the GokaiGun and GokaiSaber respectively. I have a few more keys on the way, but really you get the idea. As I said before, the keys themselves are kind of nice little collectibles all on their own, but don’t spend more than retail on them. They’re not worth it. Coming in October, Bandai is actually releasing the treasure chest the Gokaigers use to hold the keys. Whether it will be full size and able to contain all 199 keys (should you be insane enough to collect them all), we’ll have to see.

Overall, Mobirates is a pretty fun changer. It is on the expensive side, likely due to its size and the complexity of the Ranger Key system. Hopefully this trend of expensive and elaborate changers won’t continue beyond Goseiger and Gokaiger, but for this special occasion Mobirates has a lot of play value. In addition to the main Ranger Key function, it says all kinds of stuff, and is very well sculpted so it looks great on display.

Sawamoto Daichi is a veteran, hard hitting reporter who lets nothing get in the way of a good scoop. While this is good for him professionally his personal life takes a toll when his wife, Kaori, leaves him and files for divorce and his seven-year-old son, Waku, is diagnosed with leukemia. Based on the popular South Korean novel “Kashikogi” by author Cho Chang-in, this book is brought to life in this drama starring Sorimachi Takashi as Daichi and Kabe Amon as Waku.

This is an introspective drama that puts the focus on what goes on in the mind of Daichi, a man not used to saying the words “I need help.” At the start, it seemed like Daichi was just careless in assuming that his family would manage itself and all he had to do was bring home the money from his job. But as the story progressed, it’s revealed that there’s a little more depth to his behavior. His son is even more interesting. Waku comes off as being a little strange at first making up stories and seeming very needy. But it turns out that he’s just very perceptive of his surroundings and is so used to having both parents around that the idea of them separating frightened him. Something that’s certainly common for young kids caught up in divorce matters. A lot of the emotional moments come from the bonding scene between Daichi and his son giving this show a more masculine appeal though it really speaks to everyone who is in a troubled family. Even Kaori (Igawa Haruka), who was cold and rejecting of her husband, makes a surprising turn around.

Other characters do well in serving their purpose while still being well-developed and not taking too much focus away from the family. Waku’s doctor, Maruyama (Ihara Tsuyoshi) and university instructor, Yukimura (Kaga Takeshi), took on mentoring roles while child specialist, Nanami (Eikura Nana), preferred a more hands-on role in helping Daichi and Waku. One of the more surprising roles came from Korean actor Jung Woo Sung in a cameo role as Dr. Lee where he was used to tie in the Korean roots of the story and delivered a thoughtful message at the same time.

Good Life is a well-paced, emotional reminder that we can never be alone when going through life. It’s a drama that examines the mind of a lone-ranger who is forced to approach people and say words that don’t come easy to him but are necessary in living a life without consequences that could’ve easily been avoided.

GokaiMachines

Here we have the mecha for the five main Gokaigers. GokaiGalleon, GokaiJet, GokaiRacer, GokaiTrailer, and GokaiMarine. Individually, they don’t do much on their own, even in the show. In the series, GokaiGalleon is the Gokaigers’ home and main method of transportation. The other GokaiMachines nest inside each other, and eventually into GokaiGalleon, but this is not possible with the toys. Their stylings are all pretty boxy, but there’s a good reason for that.

GokaiOh

The combined form of the five GokaiMachines is GokaiOh! Heavily reinforcing the pirate theme of the Gokaigers, GokaiOh sports a stylish pirate hat and dual cutlasses (GokaiKen). As a combined robot, GokaiOh is very nice looking, with lots of detail all over. The GokaiKen can be attached to holders at his waist in appropriately swashbuckling fashion. The standard Sentai arm joint is employed for the arms and legs, leading to potential for some amusing unintended combinations with older toys. GokaiOh’s main feature is what Bandai refers to as the “Open Gimmick”. By rotating the GokaiDial on GokaiOh’s back, doors on each mecha open like a treasure chest. By default, this only reveals the GokaiHo cannon inside GokaiGalleon, able to perform the Gokai Star Burst attack. This is only the tip of the iceberg, as by meeting other previous Sentai teams, GokaiOh can gain new abilities, referred to as Grand Powers (大いなる力 ooi naru chikara).

PatStriker

Some of these Grand Powers simply deploy an attack or weapon for GokaiOh. Examples would be the Gekirangers causing the spiritual forms of their Geki Beasts to deploy from GokaiOh and attack, or the Boukengers allowing GokaiOh to use DaiBouken’s GoGo Ken. The most significant Grand Powers cause one of a previous team’s mecha to physically appear. The first of these was MagiDragon from MagiRanger, which I deliberately skipped because I found it somewhat silly looking in this incarnation (though I love the original). The second to appear was DekaRed’s PatStriker, from Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger.

PatStriker is shown here with the original Dekaranger version on the left, and the Gokaiger version on the right. For Gokaiger, PatStriker’s details have been reworked slightly, but nothing near the level of MagiDragon. It’s actually substantially slimmed down and looks a lot sleeker. Some Gokaiger specific adornments, like their cross cutlass logo and a somewhat silly rainbow decoration were also added. Armaments are upgraded with twin beam cannons on the front, and gatling guns in each wheel. The fold out grabber arms on the back are no longer present. Like the original, the new PatStriker features electronic lights and sounds. Powering it on causes the same chirp to play as when the SP Licenses are powered on, a nice touch. Pressing the button on top will play either the same siren effect as the original, or the Gokai Change system’s voice saying “PatStriker, hasshin!” followed by the siren again. Both effects also cause the roof lights to flash. Like MagiDragon, PatStriker is able to break apart into five pieces and nest inside the GokaiMachines, preparing to unleash the Open Gimmick.

DekaGokaiOh

When the GokaiDial is turned using the DekaRangers’ Grand Power, PatStriker is revealed and DekaGokaiOh is formed! A new sound effect is played to mark this new formation. The presence of PatStriker, and especially its lights, on the chests evokes the image of DekaRanger Robo. It should also be noted that for combinations such as this, GokaiGalleon’s door is removable, so it doesn’t hang awkwardly off the front. Pressing PatStriker’s button again will cause it to play a sound effect for the Gokai Full Burst attack, where GokaiOh cuts loose with all of PatStriker’s gatling guns at once.

DekaGokaiOh has a variant mode where the doors on the limbs close, and the two front end pieces of PatStriker become twin pistols. In this mode, DekaGokaiOh is able to perform acrobatic gunfighting moves similar to Dekaranger Robo, or DekaRed himself. Dekaranger Robo is also included in this photo for comparison, which also gives an idea of how big GokaiOh is.

GaoLion

A while after PatStriker, the Gekirangers are able to summon GaoLion from Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger. GaoLion is much larger than MagiDragon and PatStriker, forming an imposing presence all on its own. Unfortunately (very much so), I don’t have GaoKing, so I can’t show a comparison to the original GaoLion. The styling, as with PatStriker has been changed a bit, most notable the addition of a “handle” between his jet boosters that will come into play later. Powering on GaoLion plays the flute tune used when the Gao Animals were summoned. Pressing the button on top of GaoLion’s head causes four pieces of his mane to stand up, his eyes to light, and one of three growling/slashing effects to play.

GaoGokaiOh

GokaiOh can separate from its legs and join atop GaoLion’s shoulders to form GaoGokaiOh. This combination is similar to GaoIcarus separating from its legs and combining with an (even more) gigantic GaoLion to form GaoCentaurus. GokaiOh is still able to use its GokaiKen in this form. Turning the GokaiDial will open the arms and chest (though the legs do nothing for now). Though nothing is inside, in the show this would cause the Gokai Animal Heart attack to be fired from the openings.

GaoLion isn’t finished yet. When the Gokaigers gain the Grand Power from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, GaoLion once again appears. This time though, it separates into pieces and recombines fully with GokaiOh. GaoLion’s pieces can’t be enclosed fully within the GokaiMachines, but that’s OK because they each feature their own Open Gimmick.

ShinkenGokaiOh

When the combination is complete and the GokaiDial turns, panels on each of GaoLion’s parts open and reveal one of the Shinkengers’ respective kanji. At the same time, GaoLion will play an effect of kabuki-style drums often associated with the Shinkengers. GokaiOh’s GokaiKen are combined with the handle from GaoLion’s back to form a large naginata, which is ShinkenGokaiOh’s primary fighting weapon. Pressing GaoLion’s head button will play one of two slashing attack sounds.

Like Deka- and Gao- GokaiOh, ShinkenGokaiOh uses some visual cues to evoke the image of the original mecha it’s based upon. The presence of the lion head on the chest (though much larger), and the samurai helmet are the biggest ones. I actually sort of like GokaiOh’s helmet better. One interesting point is that the actual kanji on ShinkenOh were all broken up, and are therefore much more apparent on GokaiOh. ShinkenGokaiOh can also use a scaled up version of ShinkenRed’s Rekka Daizanto to perform Gokai Samurai Giri. The actual size of this weapon on the toy is a little disappointing, and rather too thick, so I tend to display with the naginata instead. ShinkenOh’s DaiShinken is a much nicer weapon.

Overall, I’m pleased with these two additional GokaiMachines. GokaiOh is a bit lacking by itself, but with these two the investment pays of with a lot of fun to be had. The inclusion of electronics even on the smaller PatStriker is really nice. Though GaoGokaiOh is a bit silly, both GaoLion itself and ShinkenGokaiOh are fittingly impressive in person. I recommend GokaiOh in combination with one or both of the other two very highly.

Last Friends opens up in the future with the main character, Michiru (Nagasawa Masami), reflecting on the recent trauma she went through and her friendship with Ruka (Ueno Juri), a high school friend. Jump back into the present and Michiru is working at a hair salon as an assistant. She moves in with her long-time boyfriend, Sosuke (Nishikido Ryo), and while out shopping one day she bumps into Ruka. Drama swells up when Souske sees a text message from Ruka on his girlfriend’s phone and assumes that Ruka is a guy. Soon, Michiru finds her self in an abusive relationship and begins the fight between saving herself or staying with her emotionally dependent boyfriend.

I won’t sugarcoat the fact that this is a grim show. Domestic violence, gender confusion, suicide… If you’re weak in the heart for even the sappiest of soap operas then this might leave you depressed after each episode. What some may see as a disturbingly dark drama, I look at it interested in the mindset of each character. You know, what motivates them or why they act the way they do. The writer(s) do a job at stringing the audience along by enticing them with the fate of the main characters. So it’s hard not to start caring for them because they suffer from very human flaws that most people have experienced or know about.

While I did feel a little angry at Michiru for being so forgiving of Sosuke, it was in her nature to be that way and, honestly, that’s how it can be in actual domestic abuse relationships. Ueno was a bit of a surprise playing such a tomboy character but I think that Nishikido stole the show as the benevolent, responsible boyfriend with a disturbing dark side. Each of the main characters, even Eri (Mizukawa Asami) and Ogura (Yamazaki Shigenori) the most “normal” of the bunch, are fleshed out fully. I found myself yearning for a happy ending despite the foreshadowing in the first episode.

If there’s anything to take away from Last Friends, aside from the obvious message about bad relationships, it’s that everyone suffers from some sort of trauma in their life. What really matter is how a person is able to rise up afterward make whatever they can of it. Also, Utada Hikaru’s Prisoner of Love won’t ever sound the same again for me.

Bartender stars Aiba Masaki as Sasakura Ryu, a bartender famous in Japan for being the first Japanese person to win a European cocktail competition, and Kanjiya Shihori as Kurushima Miwa, a magazine writer always looking to bring the art of bartending to the general public. The series begins with Miwa attending a press conference expecting to see Ryu as the guest of honor. However, at the last minute, the roster was changed and Ryu never shows. Feeling despondent, Miwa heads to a local mom & pop restaurant she frequents and it’s there she runs into Ryu working as a deliverer for the restaurant. What’s even more curious is that he claims he’s no longer a bartender forcing Miwa to investigate why.

I think I’m starting to grow in experience with watching and dissecting J-Dramas since this is the first show where the less-than-stellar production caught my attention. I can’t really say it’s amateur like it was done for a film festival but something about it (sans the bartending scenes) seemed very textbook. Like there was very little creativity in shots that weren’t focused on characters making cocktails. A shot would either linger too long at a certain point or the camera would just be set up in a way where the focus of a scene was hard to discern. The plot, in the end, felt like something that had loss its shine. In the beginning, when Ryu begins working at Bar Lapin, everything feels fresh and refined. But then the classy, bar atmosphere takes its toll and dulls down the series. The climax ends up being preceded by sleepy character development with the expected quota of emotion and a tired round table of final thoughts from the main cast. At eight episodes long, I wondered if there was more that was planned and, for budget reasons or whatever, production ended up being cut and they had to finish off as best as they could. It’s not uncommon in J-Dramas. In any case, Bartender does a wonderful job showcasing the history behind well-known cocktails…but is noticeably weak in other areas.

As far as performances go, Aiba and Tsugawa Masahiko (portraying Kurushima Taizo) manage to bring in a little joy with their spirited performances. Unfortunately, Kanjiya just fades into the background despite playing a character that’s a dedicated and sometimes stubborn reporter. It’s a shame since she was actually good in the other shows I’ve seen her in, Love Shuffle and Massugu na Otoko. Arakawa Yoshiyoshi (playing Sugiyama) is usually cast in comedic roles that earn a few good chuckles. But here…his material may be funny, from a Japanese cultural perspective, but it just doesn’t work. It’s either extremely predictable jokes (word play) or just gags that have been done hundreds of times before with better writing.

I can’t vouch for how well Bartender was adapted from its manga counterpart (story by Joh Araki; artwork by Nagamoto Kenji) nor can I say if the anime is better since I haven’t seen it. But I can say that I’ll only recommend this to Arashi fans or those enjoy cocktails. However, even that’s a stretch since I know there are better dramas that feature Arashi members and the manga might’ve handled the story a little better as is the case for adaptations. This just feels like another paycheck for the people who worked on this. Especially for Aiba being a member of the aforementioned megastar, boy band. I’m sure he and the other bartender actors enjoyed learning how to make cocktails since they were very meticulous when mixing. In summation, if you’re interested in cocktail drinks and are fascinated by people making them, then you’ll find something to like in Bartender. But that’s about it.

On Japanese television, period dramas tend to bring in a lot of ratings. So it’s not unusual that one of the highest rated shows of each year is usually NHK’s annual Taiga drama that’s either based off a historical figure or an old folk tale. This year’s entry, Gou starring Ueno Juri, is no different despite some criticism over the writing. But another period drama also aired this year. JIN 2 the sequel to 2009’s JIN. Again, I’ll be reviewing both seasons since this show based off the manga by Murakami Motoka is pretty epic in a small way.

The series off with Minakata Jin (Osawa Takao), an expert neurosurgeon, taking on the job of operating on a man brought into the E.R. with severe head trauma. While operating, a fetus-shaped tumor is found in his brain and is preserved in a jar for research. In the middle of the night, the man tries to escape from the hospital with the jar and when Jin gives chase he falls through a time slip and travels back to 1860 Japan, a time known as the Bakumatsu (the end of the Edo period). Unable to return home, Jin puts his modern medical skills to use in this era of primitive medicine.

Despite being one who story, both seasons take on very different atmospheres with their story telling. Season one is a balance between the mystery of how he ended up in the Edo period and the miracle sensation he brings with his “Western” medicine techniques. His first medical act in the Edo period is performing a crude head surgery on the young samurai Kyotaro (Koide Keisuke). This pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the show as he goes on slightly altering medical history by introducing modern equipment like the IV Drip, BVM, and the invention of penicillin. Season two brings more focus to the historical events that occurred around that time and more development in character relationships. But there’s still plenty of risky surgery that Jin and his medical crew take on.

Performance wise, the one character that stood out the most was Sakamoto Ryoma (Uchino Masaaki), the historical figure named as the leader of the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate. This didn’t throw me off as a surprise since Sakamoto is widely viewed, in Japan, as a charismatic and moving person who wanted to unite the divided country and was open to the idea of the country modernizing and adopting western culture. Ayase Haruka caught me off guard in her role as the adorable Saki as I had only seen her previously in Hotaru no Hikari. As for the lead actor, Osawa, he role as Jin is heartfelt and passionate so it was fairly easy to feel sorry for him at the prospect of being unable to return home.

If anything, JIN feels like a compact Taiga drama…that’s fictional with some obvious sci-fi elements. And I did feel that the cause of the time slip and certain events in season two were a little contrived. It’s probably explored better in the manga. Regardless, this show is still fantastic in every aspect of television production but since I’m not a nerd about Japanese history, I can’t attest to how well it handles the events of the Bakumatsu.