Recap and First Impression Review: Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Brave/Episode 1 – Let’s Go! The Red King

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TYPE OF REVIEW : FIRST IMPRESSION REVIEW
Review after a full recap of the first episode, so yeah, there’s a lot of spoilers. =D

The Deboss Army revives for the first time since the extinction of the dinosaurs and they begin attacks in Europe, the Arctic Circle, Japan, America and on an island in the South Sea.

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It’s here where we meet Daigo. The locals are happy to see this man they call “King” as he tells them to get to safety. He then takes on the Deboss foot soldiers, the Zorima, by himself.

Suddenly, in flies a birdlike person-thing who tosses him a weapon which he fires at the Zorima. Then just as suddenly, the volcano erupts and out pops a dinosaur.

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The birdman says the dinosaur is a Zyudenryu and his name is Gabutyra before introducing himself, Wise Deity Torin. He tells Daigo that he and Gabutyra are searching for those than can fight the evil threatening humanity.

We head over to Europe, the Arctic Circle, the bamboo forest in Japan and America where dinosaur warriors known as Kyoryugers are fighting off the Zorima.

That’s exactly what I am! Daigo says, amusing Torin.

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Daigo undergoes training for a month, being challenged by Gabutyra until he can be defeated. Daigo finally does, but Torin wonders why his GabuRevolver, the weapon he tossed him, hasn’t yet shone as proof that he is a Kyoryuger and accepted by Gabutyra.

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Down in the frozen castle, Many-Faced High Priest Chaos unfreezes and awakens the other Deboss generals; Knight of Anger Dogold, Knight of Sadness, Aigallon, and Knight of Joy Canderrilla with her Spy of Fun Luckyuro.

Chaos says their first mission is to revive their leader, Deboss, who is still frozen.

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Torin tells Daigo about the rising evil and how four others have already overcome the Zyudenryu and obtained the Kyoryuger powers. Once Daigo does the same, the five of them will form the Zyuden Sentai and work together to fight off the evil forces. But if he can’t, Torin says he and Gabutyra will find a way themselves.

Gabutyra spits out a battery called a Zyudenchi which is packed with the spirits of extinct dinosaurs or the Kyoryu Spirits. Without them, Gabutyra wouldn’t be able to go into battle mode.

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Torin prepares to fly off, but Daigo quickly hops on for the ride and gets dropped in front of the Tiger Boy restaurant where inside are the other four Kyoryugers. But they don’t know each other.

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Ian, Kyoryu Black, tries to ask Amy, Kyoryu Pink, out on a date. Seeing Ian hitting on her annoys Souji, Kyoryu Green, as he gets up to stop him. Nobuharu, Kyoryu Blue, watches as he fixes a lamp. But Daigo walks in to try and stop him. All with a smile of course.

You going to be her knight in shining armor? Ian asks. Knight?! People call me ‘King,’ Daigo responds and asks everyone else to give it a try… calling him ‘King.’

Anyway, Daigo says Ian should stop his advances since the girl looks pretty strong. She says she isn’t, but when Ian puts a hand on her shoulder, she instinctively knocks it away and kicks. Instead, the hot dog Ian is holding goes flying, Souji knocks it away from with his sheathed sword, sending it toward Nobuharu’s face, causing him to fall off his ladder and into Daigo.

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On the floor, Daigo notices a dinosaur symbol on the floor, takes out his GabuRevolver and gets sucked into a porthole, taking him to a strange, but beautiful place.

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He notices plenty of Zyudenchi being charged up before Torin appears to welcome him to the Spirit Base, the Kyorygers command center where all the Kyoryu Spirits gather.

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Torin notices Daigo’s necklace shine and he explains that it is a parting gift from his father whom he traveled the world with as a kid.

Back at the castle, Chaos has revived Debo Hyogakki, the Debo monster that destroyed the dinosaurs. Hyogakki heads to the city and freezes buildings while the Zorima jump on top of each other to create two large Zorima.

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Torin senses Gabutyra has gone into battle, but without his Zyudenchi, he can’t unleash his power. Alright, Daigo says as he offers to go up and fight himself while the Zyudenchi are being charged.

“You are far too brave,” Torin says and he tosses Daigo a red vest before getting transported back above ground. Gabutyra has been frozen by Hyogakki, but manages to help Daigo against an ice blast from the Debo monster.

They establish their connection and Gabutyra activates his GabuRevolver. Torin tosses Daigo four Zyudenchi and tells him to perform a Kyoryu Change.

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Daigo happily does the Kyoryu Change dance and henshins into Kyoryu Red. He gives Gabutyra a Zyudenchi and they both take on Hyogakki, the Zorima and the Giant Zorima.

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The other Kyoryugers arrive to help out and after they do a roll call they each fight with their respective Zyudenryu powers. Daigo and Gabutyra themselves finish off Hyogakki.

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Daigo joins his comrades and is excited to meet them face to face. But if possible, Nobuharu asks if they can keep their identities secret and only be comrades while fighting. Ian and Souji agree though Amy seems surprised they all feel that way.

But Daigo doesn’t care and he de-henshins, shocking the others by revealing he was the weird guy from the restaurant earlier. He introduces himself as Kiryu Daigo, “also known as ‘King!'”

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“Now everyone, don’t be shy. Say it!”
“No way!”

Oh alright, for now, let’s get along, Daigo says as Torin watches from above, happy that their wish has finally come true and Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger has been assembled.

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Episode Thoughts and First Impression Review
Well, that was certainly not Go-Busters.

Bright, crazy, funny, LOUD… I can see the direction Toei was dead set in going to with Kyoryuger. Now, I love my Go-Busters, but I definitely understand why and how Kyoryuger was conceived and has eventually been brought to life.

Interestingly though, Kyoryuger doesn’t just try to be lighter and fluffier than Go-Busters, but it feels a lot like a Sentai series from before Shinkenger.

And for me, a new Sentai fan, I’m basing that on seeing how Power Rangers adapted pre-Shinkenger seasons and what little I saw of each team in Gokaiger.

But I’m also basing it on what I have seen in Shinkenger, then Goseiger, then Gokaiger and of course Go-Busters. None of them were this crazy and “fun-oriented” (whatever that might mean).

The whole thing, from the set-up to the visuals, feels very old school-ish. Something that feels back to basics and, in Power Rangers terms, would reminded of like a Ninja Storm or a Jungle Fury and even some Operation Overdrive in there. (A father and son exploring the world! Flurious’ lair!)

I will say that I do welcome the change of pace for a Sentai. Go-Busters definitely drained my emotional “feels” (I try not to use that word, but it fits here) so a light and fluffy season is a nice year-long breather.

And it’s a smorgasbord of bright things; Samba dancing, enthusiastic narrator, a bird mentor, dancing dinos, smiling mecha, batteries, an oddball group of villains, a peppy Red Ranger, a big carrot for a villain base and some amped up Koichi Sakamoto explosions.

You don’t get much more opposite of technological apocalypse and dead families than that.

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Plus, they brought back the eyecatch/bumpers not seen since Goseiger!

So first impressions from the premiere episode, Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger is definitely something different. It’s bright, happy and fun and I definitely enjoyed it. I really wouldn’t mind if they upped the camp and goofiness more. It’d make the season different and distinct from any Sentai or even Power Rangers season I’ve seen so far. Not Akibaranger levels of course, but just an overall light, gooey, fluffy vibe.

VAMOLA!

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