Uchuu Sentai Kyuuranger: Just when I thought I was out...

(Forewarning: This is going to be more of a rant than a structured post.)

Dammit.  I was done!  Done, I tells ya.  ToQger had a similar appeal to me it'd have to an anal-retentive English teacher: this name looks stupid, get it away from me. Ninninger tried, but ultimately the neat design and ties it had to all the previous ninja-based tokusatsu series couldn't quite compare to how idiotic its main character and how frustrating their teacher both were.   (The rest of the characters besides MomoNinja were just too milquetoast for me to have much of an opinion on.)

And Zyuohger?  The name feels unoriginal, the furries are somehow less cool than Doggy Kruger even though we're a full decade-plus removed from Dekaranger, the suit design is lackluster and the mecha continue to suck almost worse than it usually does, and lately mech design has been lacking with very few exceptions.




But then!  Out of nowhere we get these guys.  The suits look the coolest they have since Go-Buster, and the dope-ass wrist changers have made a return!   We haven't seen those in what feels like forever, even though they're by far the best and most practical henshin devices Sentai's ever had.

And most importantly?  There are nine of them.  For years I've wondered why Sentai allows itself to be restrained by the "five" rule.  When you think about it there's literally no reason they should be--the second Super Sentai, JAKQ Dengekitai, only did four.  Not long afterwards, Sun Vulcan would have only three.   By Zyuranger the sixth was a constant addition, while Dekaranger gave us a max of ten with a functional seven member team. 

Kyoryuger had as many as ten working constantly, with seven to eight in the field regularly.  Why not kick a series off with nine characters?  It feels like a small change, but it's the same kind of small change that makes me think they may be taking a different, hopefully slightly more serious approach to Sentai than they have in the last few years.  Mind, I'm not asking them to show gruesome death scenes or to start killing off members mid-season--I'm just asking for something less ridiculous than the way Sentai has been portrayed since...arguably 2008 but more consistently since 2013.   I just want one of my favorite series to aim more at "Everyone" instead of "Children Ages 4-9". 

Will I get that?   Well, I'll be watching announcements for this series like a hawk until I have some semblance of an idea....

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