Rolling Review (Redux): Mini-Pla DaiKai Shinken-Oh Formation

Redux Review: DaiKai Shinken-Oh

They Are United! DaiKai Shinken-Oh and the IkaTenku Buster a display of awesomeness. The Origami have seemed to become a bulked up destoyer of royality with a turrent of instant death. The combination is easy and swift, allowing the combination to flow well. Overall it's a better display piece than an actual figure, but drives the point straight home.

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Rolling Review (Redux): Mini-Pla Ika DaiKai-Oh Set

Redux Review: Mini-Pla Ika DaiKai-Oh

Ebi Origami/DaiKai-Oh or Clawzord, is a popular Mecha among fans whether it be DX, RetroFire, or a Mini-Pla. This Mini-Pla set has it all! Ika Origami/ Octozord, is able to combine with the Shinken-Oh or DaiKai-Oh figures along with form the IkaTenku Buster with DaiTenku. As for the Ebi Origami/DaiKai-Oh, it has several points of articulation and is able to use all four face change modes, allowing to go North, South, East and West! It'll becoming the Ultimate Compass of Destruction!!

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A Rolling Review: SH Figuarts Hyper Shinken Red

Tamashii Web: SH Figuarts Hyper Shinken Red; Shiba, Takeru

The final form of Shinken Red, Hyper Mode with the Kyoryumaru! This red repain of Super Mode only comes with the Kyoryumaru, Kyoryu disc and Shodophone; No Effect Blade Pieces come with it! It's a shame there's no Effect Parts or Stand cause it's usual middleman fees are alot on this figure, but luckily I got on sale from Rider Proxy's X-mas/Year End sale!! Thanks Again, Rider Proxy!!

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A Rolling Review: SH Figuarts Shinken Red

The long awaited SH Figuarts Shinken Red review! It's almost been like 2 months since I got this and I'm in love with the Figuart. This Figuart is pretty amazing for being the 1st Sentai SHF, the only issue is the fact that the figure has that shoulder issue. The shoulders have broken on several other people so I'm aware to be careful with it. Shinken Red, comes with alot hands a Shodophone in Brush Mode, Shishi Origami, and Shishi Emblem along with the Shinkenmaru and Rekka Daizanto. The Disks are removable from the weapons but they aren't able to be switched about. Anyways the Kuroko is pretty useless but I plan on keeping it!

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Toku 101: Samurai × Shinkenger II

Hello and welcome to another edition of Toku 101 with me your columnist, Wheelchair21. On today's Toku 101, we'll be continuing on the topic of Samurai × Shinkenger II. Where I'll layout the summaries of episode 5 - 10 of Power Rangers Samurai then compair it to Shinkenger. Many of you who wish to read this will then either agree or disagree on my opinions compairing the two and on how I view them. So please turn away if you wish to spare yourselves now!

PRS Ep. 5: A Fish Out of Water
While having breakfast, the Rangers learn that the Swordfish Zord has been sighted off the coast as the poisonous Nighlok Yamiror appears. While the others go after Yamiror, poisoned as a result, Kevin is sent to acquire the Zord by fishing for it. But after failed attempts to catch it, Kevin receives the aid of a fisherman before being contacted by Ji and being told that the others got poisoned and the Swordfish Zord is needed to cure them. As Jayden slows Yamiror down in spite of the pain from the poison, Kevin finally manages to fish the Zord out with the fisherman's help. After curing his teammates of Yamiror's poison before they change to use the Fire Smasher's 5-Disc Swordfish Cannon mode to defeat the Nighlok, Kevin summons the Swordfish Zord to battle the enlarged mega monster before having it combine with the Samurai Megazord to form the Swordfish Fencer Megazord to destroy Yamiror. As the Rangers spent a day at the beach, a mysterious figure who witnessed the Rangers' fight with Yamiror walks off into the night.

PRS Ep. 6: There Go the Brides
Dayu and the Moogers start kidnapping brides, so the Samurai Rangers use a fake wedding to try to trap her. After she doesn't show, they make Jayden and Mia pose as another couple at a wedding, which leads to Mia being kidnapped. However, Dayu noticed the trap and also kidnaps the "real" bride, whom turns out to be Emily in a disguise. After almost sending the Rangers into an ambush, the Rangers challenge Dayu to a battle in the nearby forest and quarry. After trying to destroy her however, a new Nighlok named Deker shows up, and Jayden catches his attention. After a sinister comment, Deker and Dayu return to the Netherworld.

PRS Ep. 7: I've Got a Spell on Blue
Nighlok Madimot, shows Master Xandred that he found and possessed the Red Rangers Tiger Zord and claims it as his pet. Madimot attacks in the forest and the samurai Rangers rush towards the Nighlok. Madimot fires a blast at Mike but Kevin gets in the way and takes the blast. Kevin becomes possessed and Madimot orders him to attack the others. Kevin fights Jayden and Jayden rushes towards Madimot but he is forced to get Mike, Emily, and Mia out of there. Madimot and Kevin attack a construction site and the Rangers arrive. Deker returns to his human form and watches the fight between Kevin and Jayden with the other Rangers commenting on Jayden's abilities. during the fight, Jayden frees Kevin from Madimot's control and the 5 then attack Madimot and destroy the Nighlok. Madimot returns enlarged and summons the Tiger Zord, the Rangers get into their zords and Jayden's Lion Foldingzord battles the tiger zord and frees it. With the megazord fused with the Tiger Zord. They finish Madimot once and for all.

PRS Ep. 8: Forest for the Trees
Jayden and Ji tell the others that the Tiger Zord, the Swordfish Zord, and the Beetle Zord can combine into the Samurai Battlewing, a bird-like Megazord and they try to find a fitting pilot for each support zord. Jayden keeps the Tiger Disc, Kevin keeps the Swordfish Disc, and the Beetle Disc is given to Mia, much to the dismay of Mike. Mike starts to train harder than usual, but he thinks he can't catch up to Jayden and Kevin's progress. Then, when the Rangers face a new Nighlok named Desperaino who uses the "loss of hope", Kevin attaches his Swordfish Disc onto the Hydro Bow to try to stop it. When Mia tries to attach the Beetle Disc onto her Sky Fan, the Nighlok knocks it away, and the disc is caught by Mike. Mike attaches the Beetle Disc onto his Forest Spear, but when Kevin and Mike try to launch attacks onto the Nighlok, the Forest Spear doesn't work and the Nighlok gets away. After the battle, Ji scolds Mike for acting so foolish and jeopardizing the team's mission. Subsequently, after locating Mike at an arcade, Ji leads him to a clearing and tries to teach him about harnessing the Forest Symbol. Then, after another encounter with the Nighlok, Mike destroys it. After a final offensive on the enlarged monster by employment of the Samurai Battlewing auxiliary Zord combination, the Rangers celebrate victory. Mia allows Mike to keep the Beetle disc. Mike creates a plant for Ji to symbolize their growing "friendship".

PRS Ep. 9: Test of the Leader
Master Xandred is troubled by how much Deker knows about his past and about the Seal that brought him to his defeat centuries ago. Furious, he called upon giant and standard Moogers to attack the city destroying everything. Bulk and Spike encounter the Moogers and tried to put up a fight but end up running for life instead. Spike is rescued by the Pink Ranger and begins to develop a crush on her. The 2 female Rangers battle the standard Moogers while the male trio take on the giant Moogers in the Samurai Battlewing. Later, a new Nighlok named Robtish appears in a form of a swordsman and challenges Jayden to a duel. The other Rangers follow on and are defeated by the Nighlok's power. When the Nighlok takes aim at the Red Ranger, Deker appears, announcing that Red Ranger is his opponent. The trio then fight in a triple threat match when the Nighlok end up losing and retreating back to the Sanzu river. Deker and Jayden continue to fight but Jayden is defeated and takes a minor blow. Mike calls for Ji to bring help so that Emily and Kevin can be brought back to the Shiba house. Back at the Shiba house, Jayden secretly leaves his comrades and goes on a journey alone in order to protect them.

PRS Ep. 10: Jayden's Challenge
Jayden leaves the Shiba House to keep the other Rangers out of danger. Meanwhile, Emily and Kevin start to feel better, and they worry about Jayden. Kevin tells the group that he had an idea of combining the Samurai Battlewing with the Megazord. Back in the Sanzu River junk, Octoroo says Master Xandred won't be happy when he finds out Jayden is still alive. Robtish replies he couldn't finish Jayden off because of a half-human and Dayu (who is also half-human) thinks it is Deker. Xandred awakens, angered by the fact Deker is helping the Rangers and sends his Moogers to fight Deker. This leads him into getting into a fight with Deker himself. Jayden wanders around the city at night and the next day, he finds a boy crying because he misses his father, who is currently at work. Jayden says he misses his father, who is presumed dead. Jayden creates a paper airplane for the boy like his father did with him, and soon, the other children playing around make airplanes as well. Jayden says in his mind it should always be monster-free, until Robtish and some more Moogers arrive. He fights them, and is soon helped out by the other Rangers. Jayden now believes he needs his team to succeed and when Robtish grows bigger, they destroy him with Kevin's new idea for the Battlewing Megazord.

Now it's time for us to once again have Samurai × Shinkenger, where they'll clash for supremacy. Anyways let's get this show on the road!

Well to start off this week, in these 6 Episodes of Samurai some of the plots change during its adaptation from the Shinkenger storyline. First of all in episode 5 a 'Fish Out of Water' the mysterious fisherman Kevin meets is just some random fisherman, instead of being a Shiba Clan Kuroko. The reason behind this is, unlike in last week's segment I had forgot to mention the removal of the Kuroko for its American adaptation, so to address it now. The Kuroko are mysterious nameless shadow guards that did several of the severant like work for the Shiba Clan. In Samurai they were removed most likely for the fact they barely had characters for just doing background work for the Shiba Clan, and the fact is their attire would just completely stand out in a modern american outlook on things, since they say the Nighlok used to attack Japan and now they're attack the US West Coast. Ironically thou since the Shiba Clan is supposed to have its own servants or so, they'd have guys dresses as Secret Service to be modern Kurokos rather than just relocating to Chinatown.

The next changes occur in 'There Go the Brides' one is a minor change due to probably the whole crossdressing issue that occured in the original Sentai footage. In the original footage Ryunosuke was actually the second Bride captured in the Rangers sting operation to rescue all the captured brides. Where in American instead of Kevin to put on the dress they got the beautifully cute Emily to take that spot. It's not a huge issue to complain about seeing Kevin's actor doesn't seem to know how to be funny or act, but that's an entire ongoing issue with that guy!

The final change is a huge game changer that has become an entire new possible plotline for the American adaptation completely all centered around Juzo now called Deker. Deker is played by Ranger Alumni Rick Medina (Wild Force Red: Cole Evans) who seems to actually do better in this role wielding Uramasa. Now what I'm about to say is major Spoiler Alert for those who've avoided Samurai nor watched Shinkenger completely, so don't get mad at me! In Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, Juzo was only similar lost soul that Dayu found as her only companion where in Samurai they're comfirmed to be married by the early 20s. So just by knowing the plot change by hints in the show from 'There Go the Brides' and up, it's easy to notice the whole change in the second half of the series which is Super Samurai. Just those plot changes will have to wait for now...

As for these changes, the show begins to lag for the fact the American Actors don't seem to know how to act and it's just like they're reading off cards. The other thing is the horrible voices for several of the 'Nighlok' they somewhat just don't seem to fit the suits. Then you have these odd 'Bulk & Spike' segments; yea I said Bulk and Spike(Son of Skull, but more annoying and very hated); Anyways these segments seem to hurt the series too as their connection to the actual plot is minimal, they barely interact with the cast and just go on about trying to be samurais. This actually annoys me, while some of its comedic parts actually work when Bulk tries to get him and Spike to fight the Nighlok or just seemingly miss their chances to actually do something important.

My final thoughts thou are these still seem to stay close to the original Shinkenger plot for now with its minor changes neccessary for the adaptation. The voices like I said before still don't fit at times for the 'Nighlok' of the Episode, and the Rangers' acting/characters get worse. As their characters got worse people began to hate the show fast and stopped watching it, just cause either they believe themselves to be Shinkenger/Sentai purests or the fact the Rangers just suck. I for one think being a 'Sentai' purest is just bull, it's like saying you're almost a weeaboo or in kinder terms a radical Otaku. I mean just take what's giving to me as Power Rangers and just deal with it, cause seriously since Disney had Power Rangers we had some give and take seasons. Ninja Storm, Dino Thunder, and Mystic Force, were seasons I liked completely; SPD and Jungle Fury were mixed, while Operation Overdrive and RPM are my most hated. Now openly stating that I hated RPM is a whole different story, so to stay on track like I said with Disney it was very mixed. However during Saban's original run alot of the series were great with no issues until I look back at them, so to comeback after 7 years I wasn't expecting a homerun on a series or one so early in the episode airrings.

Just I feel like if any hate should have been appearing towards the show it should appear in these radius of episodes, cause my god I only truly enjoyed 3 of these 6 episodes(6, 7, 9). The reason for liking those selected episodes are because Deker had involvment that quickly explained and defined him as a character. Personally Deker is one of my favorite characters in Samurai, and is honestly one of the only real reasons I continue to watch the show when I'm not eyeballin' Emily or Mia. This season has alot of issues but can be over looked easily understanding Power Rangers is for kids, when Sentai is like generally a family show meant for all ages. Then understanding this explains why teenagers or grown adults quickly turn away from Power Rangers or go in search of this 'Mythical' series known as Super Sentai. As for now this has been Toku 101: Samurai × Shinkenger II and we'll see you next time!

Summaries were provide by Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Power_Rangers_Samurai_episodes
Images provided by:
http://www.powerrangers.com/seasons-samurai.html
http://www.nick.com/
http://www.rangercentral.com/
http://www.tokutime.blogspot.com/
http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/shinken/contents/news/0028/

Toku 101: Samurai × Shinkenger

Hello and welcome to a new segment here on the Broken Infinite! I'm your columnist Wheelchair21, the Kamen Roller coming at you with my very first Toku 101. Toku 101 will feature either episode summaries and reviews of popular Tokusatsu series or comparisons between the original series and its adaptations or character analysis. In this segment today we're going to cover Power Rangers Samurai episodes 1 - 4, along with compairing it to its origins as Shinkenger.

PRS Ep. 1: The Team Unites
The Samurai Rangers are seen training, but Mike can't seem to sense Jayden or Kevin's attacks. Mike soon leaves practice to hang out with his friends, telling them of his struggles. However, the city is attacked by the Nighlok Rofer, sent by Xandred to raise the Sanzu River's water levels with human fear. Even in his Ranger form, Mike is no match for Rofer as the others arrive as the monster falls back to rehydrate. Jayden explains to Mike that being a Samurai Ranger is the ultimate sacrifice and must stay away from his friends and family to protect them. After giving it thought, Mike gets an idea and starts to train himself as Jayden undergoes his own training. The next day, when Rofer resumes his attack, Mike once again takes on the Nighlok on his own, tricking him into tangling up his arms. Mike then executes the finishing move. When Nighlok is revived and enlarged, despite Mike's intent to finish him off himself, the Rangers form their Megazord and use Jayden's training to finish the monster off.

PRS Ep. 2: Deal with a Nighlok
After confronting the Nighlok Doubletone, the Rangers search for the young boy whom the monster was talking to, a little leaguer named Ryan. Kevin and Mia find the boy, only for the boy to refused to answer them as he runs off. Following him to his home to learn whatever secret he has, the two get into a discussion of Kevin's personal regret of his life-long dream that he has been keeping to himself before Mia assures him he'll live his dream once Xandred is defeated. After an all-night stake out, Kevin and Mia find Ryan on the move as he suddenly disposes of his baseball stuff and calls Doubletone as he performs his end of the promise, hurting himself so he cannot play baseball in order to get his father back. However, as the garbage truck arrives to take out the trash, Doubletone revealed it to be a lie as part of his plan to make the boy cry to overflow the Sanzu River. Vowing to make the Nighlok pay, Kevin and Mia fight him as the others arrive, defeating Doubletone as he revives into a giant before Samurai Megazord destroys him. Later, the Rangers attend Ryan's game after the boy learns the garbage man saved his stuff and gave it to his coach, with Jayden using his Symbol Power to ease Ryan.

PRS Ep. 3: Day Off
While the other spend their leisure time at the Rainbow's End amusement park, Jayden remains behind to master the use of the Beetle Disk as the rest of the team encounter the Nighlok Dreadhead. whose flexible body and marksmanship overpower them. Even with the Red Ranger's arrival, the team are no match for Dreadhead before he falls back when he begins to dry up. After revealing the Beetle Disc to the others, Jayden resumes training into the night, nearly destroying himself in the process. The next day, a rehydrated Dreadhead resumes his attack with the other Rangers arriving to fight him as Jayden arrives and succeeds to using the Beetle Disc to have his Fire Smasher assume Cannon Blast Mode in order to destroy Dreadhead. When Dreadhead resurrects into a giant, he overwhelms Samurai Megazord until Jayden uses the Beetle Disc to summon the Beetle Zord. To counter the summoned giant Moogers, the Beetle Blaster Megazord is formed to take them out before destroying Dreadhead. After the fight, Jayden joins the others at the amusement park.

PRS Ep 4. Sticks & Stones
During battle training, Emily accidentally injures Mike in the arm, Emily's attempts to care for his arm making a mess of everything. The Nighlok Negatron appears and subjects his victims to insults that hurt their feelings so deeply that the verbal abuse actually becomes a physical assault. Confronting him all the Rangers are struck down by Negatron's attacks save for Emily who is unaffected as the Nighlok is forced to retreat. When her teammates wonder about her immunity to Negatron's attacks, Emily tells them how her sister Serena taught her to ignore insults and how you need to keep thinking that the person never even said it. When Negatron resumes his attack, Emily succeeds in weakening him with Mike's help as Jayden destroys him with the five disc Beetle Cannon. Negatron revives as a Mega Monster and the Rangers destroy him with the Beetle Blaster Megazord. Later, the Rangers are then seen walking along the sidewalk while Mike carries Emily who lose consciousness at the end of the fight. Mia hears an ice cream truck and Emily, who has been faking unconsciousness for a few minutes at least, pretends to wake up so they can all get ice cream.

Now it's time for Samurai × Shinkenger, where they'll clash for supremacy... Nah, not really just an average comparison between the two and its differences. Anyways let's get this show on the road!

Power Rangers Samurai starts off weird, since it was airred out of chronological order. It's first two episodes called Origins airred later so we get this rushed and off beat introduction to the cast in 'The Team Unites', unlike in Shinkenger. Eventually thou as these episodes progress we get to know our characters a little bit better. Mike the Green Ranger, is the Wild Child who plays video games and questions alot of thing similar to Chiaki; Mia the Pink Ranger is really caring for the team while being a horrible cook much like Mako and Emily is the last minute replacement for her sick sister who doubts herself much like Kotoha. While Kevin the Blue Ranger, is much more serious, less used for comedic scenes at this point in the series and was a former competitive swimmer unlike Ryunosuke. Along with that Jayden is just an 'Arian' Takeru Shiba, getting barely any character for the first few episodes.

As for the plot of the episodes, very little is changed or adapted. Alot of the Japanese story and footage is left intact while adjusted for American audiances and children. Stuff that was alter is names of the Gedoushu, Doukoku addiction to saké is referenced as Xandred's medicine, scenes where Nanashi/Mooger are killing civilains and the Rangers' Arsenal. Since in America, things can't be overly violent and such it's understandable to remove the monsters killing people along with adjust Doukoku/Xandred's addiction to saké to medicine. As for the Nanashi/Mooger, attack scenes they're somewhat noticible as due to the horrible American edits most noticible in episode 1 and 3. Luckily the reasons thou why the Nighlok attack the World of Living remains along with their realm, the 'Sanzu River'.

The Rangers' Arsenal they really hashed the names to mostly the translations. Using the term Kanji felt too Japanese so they use 'Symbol Power', Origami Mode for the Zords are called 'Emblem Mode' and the Rekka DaiZanto is literally called what it means 'Fire Smasher'. For the other Rangers their weapons went under small name changes like Heaven Fan to Sky Fan, Water Arrow to Hydro Bow, Wood Spear to Forest Spear, and Earth Slicer to Land Slicer. As for the Megazord all the zords are the same, they even use the final combination phrase "We are United!" upon the end of the formation.

Just while in the Megazord the Samurai Rangers have a new form called Mega Mode, which is a cool cross between anime and battlizer-like design. Along with that the cockpit is completely different too, while still sort of using the same mechanic to pilot the zords as the Spin Sword evolve into the Mega Blade for the use of piloting. The only difference is the sword becomes collaspable, and used very joystick-like as if they were piloting fighter jets. Where in Shinkenger the cockpit was very colorful, the suits stayed the same and was honestly nothing was altered for them to just pilot their mechas.

Upon watching these first four episodes, Samurai seems very rushed and corny for the fact it's made for kids, rather than being serious and plot driven like Shinkenger. The mannerisms of the monster are very corny too much to like the original Saban monsters, back in MMPR to PRiS. These monster don't take the job seriously or pretty much seem intelligent as there were depicted in Shinkenger. Along with that since this is/was Saban's first PR series since Wild Force it explains why he went back to basics for the villains, along with keeping to most of the original Sentai Storyline. Overall these first four aren't amazingly special, or glamourious as people seen them as in Shinkenger. Heck some people actually tend to had forgotten some of the early monsters by the time Samurai even began to air. So to have had many people automatically hating the series upon these first couple of episodes was uncalled for since its understandable Saban wouldn't be 100% at the start. I for one was just happy, to have a real Power Ranger series back on that had Saban branded all over it, the return of Paul Schrier as 'Bulk', the re-use/remix of the MMPR Theme and to just see Shinkenger footage air on my television on actual American networks. Because having Shinkenger footage air on our television helps brings more people to the Toku-community and opens the doors to several other amazing series like Kamen Rider, Metal Heroes, Ultraman and several others. By having more embrace these types of shows and series, brings more understanding of why people like me or you enjoy them. So until then, keep an eye out for the next, TOKU 101!!

Summaries were provide by Wikipedia.org: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Power_Rangers_Samurai_episodes
Images provided by:
http://www.powerrangers.com/seasons-samurai.html
http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/shinken/contents/news/0028/
http://www.rangerboard.com/