Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger Season Wrap-up

Deliverers in every sense of the word. The Boonboomgers were deliverers in the heroic sense, saving and rescuing those in danger and helping people in need. The Boonboomgers also made literal deliveries, whether special moments for schoolkids or curry lessons to a friend or even sketchy government secret missions.

But the Boonboomgers’ biggest and best delivery was probably being able to deliver to us, the fans and viewers, an excellent season this past year.

After three seasons of Toei trying something new and even experimenting with different visual and narrative concepts, Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger was a back to basics season in all the best ways possible. A more traditional Sentai in comparison to the solid last three since Kiramager.

Kiramager is a season that I love very much, sharing a lot of what I love and look for in a Sentai season. And Boonboomger was able to deliver the same. Plenty of heart and warmth fueling (yeah, there will be a lot of car puns and analogies today lol) one of the most well-paced seasons powered by a talented cast, endearing characters, engaging story and Toei’s continuing to find creative and refreshing ways to present its signature action.

There’s something to be said about Boonboomger‘s return to a more traditional way of doing things. I wouldn’t say “normal” or “normalcy” for fear of it being taken in a negative way, whether toward Boonboomger itself or toward the previous three seasons.

Those three seasons I liked perfectly fine. Zenkaiger was light and enjoyable. King-Ohger was creative and unique in many ways. And Donbrothers was just fun, good-natured hilarious insanity.

But Boonboomger was indeed a return to the more traditional way of doing things while still being able to offer up refreshing concepts and approaches to familiar qualities and themes that make Sentai such a timeless franchise that continues to entertain audiences worldwide. Most especially Japanese children and their families every Sunday morning.

I often mention when I talk about Sentai or Kamen Rider that even when a season has its flaws and faults, I can easily overlook or even forgive them if everything else is strong enough. And to be honest, I think that is the case with Boonboomger for me.

When everything else is so good, I can give the season a pass on its rushed Final Lap. I can move on from the show not giving Spindo a bit more meat to his character. I can force myself to forget how the show and the story kept sidelining Sakito (and Byundi), treating him more like an outsider rather than a full member of the team. Even more with Shirabe whose breakout episode should’ve maybe come a few weeks before 39. And definitely should have led to an increased presence from her after it.

And I can certainly grit my teeth while recalling the underwhelming climax that was Episode 47.

Again, all of those things end up being small or insignificant when for the last year, I’ve had a smile on my face or had fully welcome MaGMCM tears while enjoying every single episode, summer movie and BL manga featuring these awesome characters and great story.

Taking the handle or steering wheel of your life and driving down toward your future is such a simple, yet profound message from Boonboomger. The season established deep, character-driven stories that touched upon very real world situations. Everything from friendship to loneliness to family to even heavier topics like abuse and discrimination; Boonboomger showed us all how to take control of the wheel and be able to welcome and invite others for the ride along the way.

Boonboomger told those stories for almost every character. Whether it was our loveable Boonboom team or characters related to the MOTW or even the antagonists like the General3 Sanseaters and (for an episode) Spindo and Grantu; the season drew upon relatable situations to help convey the season’s core message. Giving adequate focus for each character, even if we wish there was much more.

The care and sincerity the season was able to employ when telling these stories paired very well with that pure bakuage spirit that, again, fueled the Boonbooms to keep driving forward together and helping to get others going on their own roads too.

Like I mentioned earlier, the season had excellent pacing for most of the season. The first three Laps, as they were distinctly identified, actually helped focus the season in a way that might not be as easily possible in other seasons. Having that good pace allowed for stories to have beginnings, middles and ends. And that is still alongside the greater season-long plot threads.

Legitimately surprising twists. Sincerely thrilling climaxes. The season had consistent forward momentum.

And because those first three Laps were done so well is perhaps why this Final Lap felt a bit too rushed. Great ideas, such as Shashiro’s defection or Shirabe’s ISA suspicions or exploring the history between Spindo and BunBun (including Spindo’s origins beyond just passing lines in the final episode), and the profound shock of BunBun’s premature death; all of it deserved much more time to marinate and develop. Even an episode or two more just to help add more of the kind of depth we saw power the first three Laps to truly make these endgame plot threads be as impactful as they can be.

But I always go back to what I love about the season. And that’s the characters and the bonds they had forged in the 40 or so episodes before this final stretch. I’m not only invested, but I had already grown to love and truly care about these characters that no matter what crazy hurdle might be thrown at them or us the viewer in the final weeks, it wouldn’t matter. Because I knew I wanted to see these characters in the end. Winning. Being happy. Speeding forward towards their dreams.

Of course it helps that the season never did anything so atrociously bad, unlike other seasons who completely throw away all the strength and goodwill they’d built up in the early days of their runs. (hmph)

But what this endgame for Boonboomger also showed is that their story isn’t finished yet. There’s more to do. If anything, this relatively open ending and the rushed feeling of the Final Lap showed that there is so much possible material and untapped potential yet for Boonboomger. So much that they could’ve easily continued on for at the very least two more episodes to reach the traditional 50. Or even more than that too.

Which is why I certainly am hoping for more movies and TTFC specials in the future. I just simply want more of the Boonbooms!

I know they’ve announced the Boonboomger-King-Ohger crossover.

But give us the Boonbooms travels in space liberating planets. Give us Shirabe taking down the corruption in the ISA and whoever was backing Director-turned-convict Tokoyari this whole time. Give us Sakito and Byundi’s adventures on Earth with the childrens. That is, while also giving us the whole, full, complete Boonboomger team racing in the BBG together.

And sure why not. Let’s get a full-on BL spinoff with Taiya and his Shashiro. Let’s cut out the middle man and have the Toei-to-BL pipeline remain within Toei’s studio compound for once, yeah? 😅

ETA (2/11/25): So I watched the special TikTok video Toei posted with lots of photos from the past year of Boonboomger and I don’t know how I missed this shot:

Hello?! 😍😅

Overall though, Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger has easily become one of my all-time favorite Sentai seasons. I’ll be posting my updated Sentai rankings a few days after this gets posted. There are only a few seasons that I actively dislike or am indifferent toward. I’ve pretty much enjoyed most of the Sentai seasons I’ve watched the last 16 years with a couple bunched up in the middle of my list.

But Boonboomger will find itself quite high up on my list. And on its own, not tied with another season. And that’s partly because this season, even with some relatively small faults and flaws that are just due to my own preferences, brings together many of the qualities that I love from other seasons as well delivering most of what I look for when fully embracing a Toei toku season.

A talented cast. Loveable, endearing characters. Relatable story with sincerity and depth. Plenty of exciting action. Awesome suits (really!) and jackets and Supercar! Great theme song. Addictive ending song and dance. A warm and positive feeling while watching every episode with a good dose of emotional tears from time to time. Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger had it all. And I will definitely miss these bakuage deliverers.

So thank you to the entire cast and crew for making Boonboomger possible. And congratulations on delivering an amazing season of television. Until next time!