Recap: Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger, Episode 1 – The Deliverer’s Wheel

A mysterious young man interrupts the wedding of Shifuto Mira who isn’t too excited to be marrying her groom in the first place. The young man whisks Mira away from the church in his red supercar. But they are immediately being chased by the henchmen of the groom’s father.

The young man, Hando Taiya, tells Mira that he is a deliveryman who has been hired by her real boyfriend to deliver her to the airport where he is waiting. Taiya notices that she doesn’t seem happy and suggests she is someone who doesn’t like others taking the wheel.

As the groom and henchmen start to catch up, Taiya calls back to their garage where Meita Ishiro and Bundorio “BunBun” Bunderas are in control of their systems. Ishiro quickly searches for Taiya’s best route, but is shocked to see the arrival of Dekotorade and Ittasha who are riding Yeiyei Yaruka. BunBun confirms they are Hashiryans.

Dekotorade and Ittasha are excited to be the first ones to arrive on this planet. But Taiya recognizes the threat their arrival poses.

Just then, both Taiya and the Hashiryans stop at a crosswalk to allow a grandmother to safely make her way across the street. Once she does and thanks them, Taiya and the Hashiryans continue their high-speed chase. The Hashiryans shoot at Taiya’s car after Ittasha takes a liking to Mira’s wedding dress.

Taiya does his best to avoid their attacks and then activates his car’s booster to fly into the sky. The Hashiryans end up spinning out with Yaruka shrinking back down to size.

As Taiya and Mira fly across the sky, Bureki Genba watches and commends Taiya for the air that his latest customization has yielded.

Once Taiya and Mira land back on the ground, he takes her to a clothing boutique. He whips out his black card and says he’ll buy the whole store in order for Mira to change into new clothes and give up her wedding dress since the Hashiryans will be looking for her in it. Mira refuses to give it up and Taiya says that’s alright too. He’ll be waiting outside while she changes.

Ishiro asks Taiya what this little detour is for and Taiya says things have gotten a bit interesting. Ishiro understands and heads out with BunBun wishing him a safe drive.

Mira thinks about Taiya’s words from earlier about her not liking someone else taking the wheel. As she exits the dressing room in new clothes and holding her dress, the Hashiryans appear. Ittasha inserts a key into the dress which turns it into a Kumaju monster: Wedding Dress Grumer.

The Kumaju begins rampaging downtown, wrapping up people, including police officer Akuse Jou, in wedding dresses. Dekotorade explains that they convert people’s screams into Ghassolin which they use to power up. Ittasha throws screws onto the road and they turn into the foot soldiers Nejiretta who also begin attacking people.

Taiya stops Mira from going after the monster and asks if the wedding dress is that important to her. She says it is an heirloom from her grandmother. Taiya understands and says she really didn’t let go of the wheel after all.

Taiya checks in with BunBun who says that defeating the Kumaju should return the dress to normal. Taiya says he will retrieve the dress for Mira, free of charge. She asks why. Taiya says because he wants to. That’s what it means to take the wheel.

Taiya whips out his Boonboom Changer and henshins to Boon Red. Taiya charges toward the Kumaju and Nejiretta and takes them all on. Ishiro arrives and Taiya asks him to take care of the “package”. Ishiro grabs Mira to get back into the car.

On the way to the airport, Mira again thinks about Taiya’s words earlier and realizes she is ready to take the wheel herself. She grabs Ishiro’s arm and uses his Boonboom Changer to activate the car’s boosters. They zoom into the sky and back to where Taiya is fighting the Hashiryans.

Taiya is surprised to see them. But Mira says she is here to fight. She will take the wheel and deliver herself to where she believes she belongs. Taiya is impressed and he hands her a fresh Boonboom Changer.

“Here we go again,” Ishiro says. “Have it your way.”

Ishiro and Mira get into position with the Boonboom Changers and both henshin to Boon Blue and Boon Pink, respectively. BunBun tells Taiya to do the “the thing,” aka a roll call. Taiya and a reluctant Ishiro introduce themselves and an excited Mira joins them.

More Nejirettas appear and the three Boonboomgers easily take care of them. Taiya suggests they finish off Wedding Dress Grumer together so they deliver a Bakuage Handling Drive Finisher. Dekotorade and Ittasha lament the loss of the Kumaju, but Yaruka absorbs the burning Ghassolin and zooms into a portal.

BunBun explains that the Kumaju will pass through the Highway Kukan and come out embiggened. Taiya says they must chase after it and gives BunBun the go signal.

BunBun oversees the Boonboom Cars revving up onto the Rainbow Road Highway and joins them after transforming into Boonboom Trailer. Taiya, Ishiro and Mira hop into their respective Cars.

BunBun introduces himself to Mira and welcomes her aboard. Mira thinks this is all so bakuage.

They chase after Yaruka who unleashes bombs onto the road in front of them. Dekotorade and Ittasha are surprised to see Yaruka acting this way, but are excited to see it.

The Boonboomgers maneuver through the explosions and Mira grabs an opening to zoom toward Yaruka and knock it off its wheels. The boys are impressed by her driving. Taiya and BunBun whip Yaruka back to Earth, releasing the embiggened Kumaju and returning Yaruka to size.

Taiya says it’s time to gattai so they transform into Attack Mode and combine into Boonboomger Robo.

They battle in the middle of the city. And the Boonboomgers finish off Wedding Dress Grumer by unscrewing the dress off him and then trapping him in a metal wedding cake before slicing him in half with a Boonboom Finish.

At the airport, Mira tells her boyfriend that she will not be going with him and that she will remain here to fight as a Boonboomger.

Taiya tells Ishiro that the delivery has been made after being rerouted to the Boonboomgers.

Episode Thoughts

BOOM BOOM BOOM! The start of a new season is always exciting. And this was definitely a great episode and promising start! After three unique and somewhat experimental, I guess, Sentai seasons, it feels very refreshing to get back to a more “traditional” Sentai. A full team of humans. CGI reserved for mecha battles. It’s crazy to think that Kiramager was the last “traditional” Sentai season. It already feels so long ago.

But I very much enjoyed what I saw so far. Very exciting and a lot of fun!

First off, how wonderful to actually see real life physical locations! Lol Toei really took advantage of the first episode budget and maximized their number of real life locations here. Some familiar locations, maybe a few fresh ones. And a slick combination of real life locations with the mecha battle inserted in the background.

After King-Ohger, it really is great to see the action take place outside of a Toei studio.

This season definitely seems to be promising lots of great car action! Though I can’t expect the same level of action as the first episode of course. But I think for a season that is returning to real life outdoor locations, what better one to have a car/vehicle-centered theme!

As for our characters, I like all of them so far! And I mean all of them! Taiya comes across as a cool, but nice guy. Ishiro is your familiar tsundere Blue. Mira is the bubbly Pink. (And her reactions all episode were the same as my reactions to everything, tbh hehe) And BunBun is definitely going to be a fun and positive teammate.

The quick glimpses of Jou and Genba, our Black and Orange Boons, were pretty solid as well. And even Dekotorade and Ittasha gave a good first impression too. They seem like the more lighthearted (for lack of a better term at this 1am hour lol) villain rather than the contemptable pure evil that we’ve gotten on both Toei tokus this year. So that is another refreshing aspect so far.

I LOVED Taiya’s first henshin! Definitely reminded me of Operation Overdrive and Mack’s first morph which I think might be my favorite Power Rangers morph of all time.

Very cool.

I know people were hyperventilating over the suits when they were first revealed. But I think they’re fine.
I especially liked the first poster:

ブンブンブーン！！！！！

第48代スーパー戦隊は
『爆上戦隊ブンブンジャー』🛞

2024年3月3日から1年間、#スーパーヒーロータイム をバクアゲタイヤー🛞🔥
みんな応援よろしくブン！#ブンブンジャー#バクアゲ#ブンブン#ComingBoon🏎💨 pic.twitter.com/ypW0dPDcJD

— 爆上戦隊ブンブンジャー【東映公式】 (@BoonBoom_toei) December 22, 2023

And this latest one:

ブンブン🏎💨#爆上戦隊ブンブンジャー
最後のティザービジュアル公開🏎💨

去年の12月に出た初リリースのフルメンバーVer.だブン🛞
みんな揃うと壮観だブンね〜✨

さぁいよいよこの後
9時30分からスタート！！

ニューヒーロー爆誕を見逃すなブン🛞🛞🛞🛞🛞#バクアゲ #ブンブン#ComingBoon🏎💨 pic.twitter.com/E1eTNiaPV9

— 爆上戦隊ブンブンジャー【東映公式】 (@BoonBoom_toei) March 3, 2024

I commented that it gave off retro vibes and I hoped that the season would somehow have that kind of aesthetic. I didn’t see it in this first episode. But I would love if it happened.

Again with the real life locations, I like the garage command center. And I really enjoyed the scene of BunBun deploying the Cars too. On the flip side, the Mario Kart visuals of the Rainbow Road-ish Highway Kakun was quite awesome! I think I will enjoy their trips onto the highway, especially if they do more of those video gamey attacks and the like. Knowing that there would be a real life, physical mecha battle alongside the CGI-focused Highway Kakun scenes is a big positive.

Overall, I really enjoyed this premiere. I am liking what Boonboomger has shown so far. And I am excited at the potential for a strong, enjoyable season! Positive vibes all around!