CCLemon99
Since 2007
2022/09/30
The White Blaster Beetleborg and the Kabuto Figure That We Never Got
Power Rangers 2017 Japanese Theater Program
There are many different versions of CCLemon99. Today you're getting CCLemon99: Book Collector. I've talked about books on occasion. It usually stems from me trying to clean, but really thumbing through books for a few hours. This time around came across a book for a movie I've never seen, nor have any real desire to see. I decided to give the book a whirl anyway.
This is the Japanese theater program for the 2017 Lion's Gate Power Rangers film. Power Rangers has been an underground companion to Super Sentai basically since Power Rangers' inception. It's really cool that they even got Machiko Soga back to dub her Rita Repulsa lines in a weird turn of events.
Anyway...the 2017 movie did get a theatrical release a few years back in Japan, I collect theater pamphlets, so I ended up bringing this into the collection awhile back and never really cracking it open.
It's a more comprehensive guide than I was expecting. There are cast bios, Power Ranger History to (then) present, a color insert, a page on Kyoryuger Brave, Super Sentai history, and even a merch guide. Oh yeah...and interviews with the seiyuu cast.
It's definitely more than I was expecting. The photo spreads look great as well.
2022/08/31
It's August 2022 and The Kakuranger Cast Got Back Together...
みんないくぜっ!#カクレンジャー pic.twitter.com/5dRrnvSJf5
— 小川輝晃 Teruaki Ogawa (@pinsclub) August 30, 2022
WOW! Seemingly out of nowhere the main cast of my all-time favorite Super Sentai series, Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, got back together for...(merch) reasons (probably?)! Even if the only thing we're getting out of this are a handful of photos, I'll take it! Who knows? It could be more!
みんな久しぶり!立ち位置あってる?#カクレンジャー pic.twitter.com/h9YbqjG0kz
— 土田大 Hiroshi Tsuchida (@dodendai) August 30, 2022
I gotta say...everyone is looking really sharp as well! The main photo has a vibe of legitimacy that is missing from a lot of reunion photos. The pose is only part of it...you can really tell these guys are still into it!
たのしいなぁ。懐かしいなぁ。
— 広瀬仁美 (@0927Satoku) August 30, 2022
嬉しいなぁ。
みんな大好き!!!!#カクレンジャー#みんないくわよ!#おいまてひとりポーズどうした?#小川輝晃#土田大#ケイン・コスギ#河合秀 pic.twitter.com/SII2tseoKd
Seriously...so cool.
ニンジャ5人 #カクレンジャー pic.twitter.com/5N9uYsMPC4
— Kane Kosugi ケイン コスギ (@KaneKosugi74) August 30, 2022
Even if this was just a little get together was timed conveniently close to the new wave of merch on Bandai's site (available until September 19th for preorder), I still dig the love that this got.
Can you still find a deal in 2022?
2022/07/31
Let's Get Physical! New Tokusatsu Physical Releases!
The plot twist of the year is the massive reversal of fortunes when it comes to Tokusatsu physical media releases. Think about where we were just a few short months ago. Ultraman was the only thing keeping us afloat. Great stuff--but I couldn't help but feel we were in the midst of our malaise era of Tokusatsu.
Then...we got more. Lots more.
It was only a month ago the obscured legends from Shout Factory emerged in their three-piece mecha to halt the invasion of Hasbronauts. References to the first episode of Fiveman aside--that happens to be the shock of the month. In just 1-2-3-4-5 weeks from this writing we will be getting the *woefully* delayed DVD set of Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman! The very set that was teased like four years ago is being released with the exact artwork seen in the teaser post? Why the delay? What gives? Who cares! What we can only hope is that this is not the end of Shout's Super Sentai DVD releases.
Fiveman is not an incredible series, but I still found great enjoyment out of it. I miss that era where Sentai series has their own sound effect catalog. Jetman had it fart sounds...Fiveman had its bizarre sound design. It was great. Yeah, I'm excited to give this show another shot legitimately. I know I've been teasing a Timeranger post since it's release, but there is a lot to talk about and I need to get it right. Fiveman...is gonna be a challenge, but crucially it's episodes are only like seventeen and a half minutes without credits, which helps since time is in short supply.
Anyway...Fiveman DVD set. Great stuff. Ordered immediately and I cannot wait to get it. If Abaranger is next, I'll be there too.
That same day we also got another lump of awesome news. Kamen Rider Kuuga is coming to Blu Ray! I haven't seen this series in so long and I was just getting the itch to watch again after catching an episode on Shout Factory's Tokushoutsu Twitch channel one night when I couldn't sleep. The series has been available to stream for some time, but I can't engage with streaming as much as I can with a DVD or BD. I put the Blues Brothers on the other night and watched the entire damn movie without distraction. I also streamed all of Seinfeld last month and constantly left to do other stuff.
This release isn't a total shock as, like I mentioned, the series has been available in North America to stream for quite some time along with Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider Agito.
This announcement...it definitely opens up the possibility for more. Keep this in mind when the crop of new Kamen Rider films are released in the future. They'll have life on Amazon Prime...but the possibilities are endless.
My procrastination has paid off in writing this post as just yesterday it was announced that Discotek is going to continue releasing Metal Hero BDs with Uchuu Keiji Gavan! Yes! As you might remember, Discotek has also released Kyojuu Tokusou Juspion on BD in North America. This was completely out of left field and certainly a move that fully enough. I will definitely be preordering that one as well whenever and wherever it is available.In addition to this, we have Media Blasters lurking in the background.
They teased what is truly going to be one of my favorite releases of all-time at the very end of 2021. They proposed a set of basically every 1990s Kamen Rider feature sometime in 2022. Even if it happens in 2023, I'm still pumped. They've been the lords of the Hakaider license in America since like 2000 and recently put out a great BD and have also released new BDs of Zebraman and Zebraman 2.
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We're currently at a watershed moment of releases and I am just taking it all in.
I have been working on my own little side project for something later on. I can say that upon re-re-re-release some Toei BDs have gotten more reasonably priced when it comes to Super Sentai vs/V Cinema releases, but holy hell are full series still freakin' expensive.
The next time I hear some dork whine that $60 is too much for a full series DVD release, I will gladly remind them that you will be hard-pressed to find that same series for less than $300 in Japan. The releases aren't perfect, but the rock bottom price of $35-$60 that these sets have been have made up for it in spades. Not wishing to have a "get off my lawn" moment, but $20 used to buy you a VHS copy with four episodes in 1994. Twenty 1994 Dollars. (I am working on a certain post about some old tapes...)
Anyway, whiners will always whine. Winners will always support physical Tokusatsu releases.
See ya~!
-CC
Song Collection: Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman
When the news of Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman's impending DVD release broke there was one thing I knew that I absolutely must do.
Pre-order the set.....
.....oh, and I should probably circle back and talk about it's Song Collection I guess.
I'm kinda running out of Sentai Song Collections to talk about from the Complete Song Collection series (1975-1994), so if I skipped over a series for so long it must mean that I'm avoiding it...right??
For this post I'll be listening to my copy of the Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman Complete Song Collection from 1997. I briefly talked about that disc here in the past.
From: The CD Collection-- Gattai Tamashii ~Super Sentai Robot Song Perfect Collection~:
The third Sentai mecha theme song from Hironobu Kageyama. They finally got it right this time. It's an energetic song for one. Kageyama is definitely on-point this time. Even if this isn't my favorite mecha theme song, it's certainly one of the best that Kageyama had to offer. Really, there aren't many flaws when you listen to it. The only thing that sucks is the mecha that it's based on. Heh.
From: The CD Collection-- Gattai Tamashii ~Super Sentai Robot Song Perfect Collection~:
The bland secondary mecha theme song from the series. I like the tempo and horns, but not much else. It's an otherwise bland song for a bland mecha. A match made in heaven!
2022/06/30
Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~
I felt it necessary to write a short passage on the recent passing of legendary Tokusatsu composer Chumei Watanabe. I know I haven't said the most positive things about Watanabe over the years, but I do very much enjoy a lot of his work. It's a miracle that he was active as recently as last year with his contributions to the Zenkaiger soundtrack while also giving us the wonderfully memorable music from Jinzoningen Kikaider fifty years ago.
You can look up his long, long career on your own time if you'd like. Today I am going to talk about what I really liked and a recommendation or two if you're interested.
Battle Fever J / Denjiman
Much the same way Shunsuke Kikuchi was the lone name in charge of Kamen Rider's music from it's inception until Kamen Rider ZX's special, Watanabe was in charge of the BGM for every Sentai series from Goranger to Goggle Five. Given the long run, he really shaped the tone of the genre. There are more moving parts in a Sentai series when you consider bigger casts, more situations and giant robots that need majestic music.
I think Watanabe's sweet spot is right in the middle.
Battle Fever's music is a lot of fun. The opening theme song isn't wonderful, but the ending theme song and BGM are great. I love the funk. Denjiman is *really* where it's at, though. I know I haven't gotten to him yet, but the soundtrack to Denjiman is like a proto-Uchuu Keiji Gavan soundtrack.
Not to mention the themes... The Denjiman themes are perfect. Both of them. The opening theme song in particular is one of my favorites for obvious reasons. There are very, VERY few opening theme songs that pass as badass, but Denjiman's opening theme song truly deserves it. The also-Watanabe opening theme song to Sunvulcan may be a better Tokusatsu theme song, but Denjiman's theme song is just perfect as a song.
I definitely recommend checking out the soundtracks to both of these Sentai series. Make sure you find the Complete Music Collections. The Denjitiger track on the Denjiman Music Collection is one of the most flawless jazz synth hybrid tracks of the era.
Uchuu Keiji Gavan
The music and songs from Uchuu Keiji Gavan are peak Watanabe. Much like his turn being "the guy" for Sentai, he was *also* the guy for Metal Hero. His resume includes the first five Metal Hero series.
While I think there was a bit of an incline in his style taking hold with Sentai, he was hot right out of the gate with Gavan. Some people will say that he did a better job on the...eccentric...Shaider soundtrack or that Juspion has the best soundtrack, but I truly think that Gavan's music is just the coolest. The songs are so loud and obnoxious, the music just shines the most. It's no wonder that the Laser Blade theme became his signature from then on out.
The DNA for the music is kinda there if you listen closely to the Denjiman soundtrack. Bits and pieces here and there. When the Laser Blade theme hit during Gavan, it was easy to see how this could be adapted with slight difference going forward with sequel series Sharivan and Shaider. You can also see why it was too good not to use beyond even those series...
I've joked that I could live on without ever hearing the Gavan theme ever again, but it's another purely great theme song. You can tell that Akira Kushida is proud of his singing part on it. The whole song collection is pretty damn great.
Definitely check out the both the BGM and songs from the series.
Ultra Anime Eurobeat Series Gaiden
Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~
I've written about this album in the past and I just want to reiterate that it is one of the best kept secrets out there.
The gist of it is that it's one long Eurobeat Medley that brings back Akira Kushida and Takayuki Miyauchi along with MIO and Yoko Ishida to sing new vocals. I generally hate Eurobeat, but this whole CD is pretty magical. We even get a jazzy new version of the Gavan theme song sung by Kushida.
I bought this CD back when it was brand new out of curiosity and it's still one of my favorite CDs out there. Even if Watanabe didn't do much more than pose with a cigar for the artwork, this is still his music and clearly something that he endorsed.
Also...MIO and Takayuki Miyauchi in a friggin duet is beyond amazing.
I highly recommend you give this a whirl if you can find it.
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It's pretty sad when you think that one of the last remaining legends is gone. He was there to help bring Tokusatsu to life. TWO whole genres of Tokusatsu launched to the sound of his music.
We'll always have the music. Farewell~
-CC