Hellllloooo!
I will be back next time with new blog content. I just wanted to give an update about my MASSIVE video schedule for the Summer and Autumn... So here it goes...
#319 DX Aston Martin DB5 [26.May.2013]
#320 DX Gaburevolver Part 1 [02.June.2013]
#321 DX Gaburevolver Part 2 [02.June.2013]
#322 5 Dai Seijuu Set [09.June.2013] %
#323 DX Jizaiken Kiba [16.June.2013] %
#324 DX Chogokin Bull Taurus [23.June.2013] %
#325 SIX-YEAR VIDEO [25.June.2013]
#326 Kamen Rider 1 Figuarts [30.June.2013]
#327 Kamen Rider 2 Figuarts [07.July.2013]
#328 Kamen Rider V3 Figuarts [14.July.2013]
#329 Riderman Figuarts [21.July.2013]
#330 DX Gaburichanger [28.July.2013] @
#331 DX Kyoryujin [04.August.2013] @
#332 DX Zakutor [11.August.2013] @
#333 DX Parasagun [18.August.2013] @
#334 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.5 16v Evolution II [25.August.2013]
#335 Kamen Rider X Figuarts [01.September.2013]
#336 Amazon Rider Figuarts (Amazon.co.jp Edition) [08.September.2013]
#337 Kamen Rider Stronger Figuarts [15.September.2013]
#338 DX Won Tiger/Kibadaioh [22.September.2013]
#339 DX Gao Lion [29.September.2013] *
#340 DX Gao Kentaurus [06.October.2013] *
#341 Power Animal Round-up [13.October.2013] *
#342 Skyrider Figuarts [20.October.2013]
#343 Kamen Rider Super-1 Figuarts [27.October.2013]
#344 Red Hawk Figuarts [03.November.2013]
#345 Black Condor Figuarts [10.November.2013]
#346 Tyrannoranger Figuarts [17.November.2013]
#347 Dragonranger Figuarts [24.November.2013]
#348 Ryuuranger Figuarts [01.December.2013]
#349 Audi Quattro LWB [08.December.2013]
#350 350th VIDEO [15.December.2013]
% Gingaman Month
@ Kyoryuger Month
* Gaoranger Month 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIGUARTS
You might have noticed something strange on the list. I have kinda fallen for Figuarts in a bad way. I ended up with two Red Hawk Figuarts for very cheap (1000 yen) and was given an excellent donation of Super-1 and Stronger. I may have fallen into a trap... I ended up scouring the net for cheap figures (I managed to get all of the Riders for reasonably cheap prices outside of 2 and a pre-order for X)...(oh, an I went with the Amazon.co.jp edition of Amazon Rider because it's the most meta thing in the universe even if the figure is almost completely unchanged. I like weird variant boxes, so it was up my alley).
The problem I always had with Figuarts lied in the first two that I ever saw: BLACK and BLACK RX. To this day I think those two figures are abominations. I'm always reminded of a certain line from an episode of The Simpsons when Marge tries to fit in at a country club. "That's the trouble with first impressions. You only get to make one.". That sums up everything I've felt about Figuarts all this time. The recent Sentai figures have given me reason to go back and *really* take a look at the Showa Riders that I love. Well, they look good. I didn't realize that all of the Showa Riders were out except ZX (Really? So what if he only had that lame movie...he's the 10th Rider for Chrissake!). So I have been secretly amassing a small army of figures. I can assure you, though... I have no interest in going past ZX for Rider unless they get their shit together and do better versions of BLACK and BLACK RX. If they ever did the 90s movie Riders...OK, I'd get those too. Beyond that, none of the newer ones look that good to me either, nor am I attached to anything outside of Kuuga and Agito.
Sentai-wise... Well, I can be picky. Ryuuranger was a definite preorder and the two Zyuranger ones listed above were a given.
With all that said, I still stand behind my previous declaration... Action Works Metalder is the best Tokusatsu figure out there. Now I have some clout to back up that claim.
----------------------------------------------------
So there you have it. There is my near-complete calendar for 2013. Naturally, things can be shuffled around...but seeing that I am well past making and uploading the Gingaman month stuff, it is safe to say I'll be sticking to that calender as best as I can. I better get back to work!
-CC
2013/05/03
The Top 7 Super Sentai Ending Songs
Welcome to the list of my Top 7 Super Sentai themes! Previously I did a list of my favorite Super Sentai Opening theme songs. It was my first top seven list actually. I am going to approach this list a little differently. Instead of breaking things up into groups of seven years, I am just going to do a straight list. This is my favorite ending songs between 1975-2013!
Also, keep in mind that this is MY list. If you want to tell me that I'm wrong, save your time and don't comment. It's not my problem if you don't have any taste. : p I should also note that this was a very difficult list to put together...Super Sentai has a lot of fantastic ending songs. The same can't be said about it's opening themes a lot of the time.
07. Miyo! Goranger (Goranger 1975) LINK
Of the two Goranger ending songs, this is my favorite. I didn't really like how it was used in the show, because (IIRC) it was just played over the same footage from the first ending song, Himitsu Sentai Goranger. I just like the 'roll-call' style songs of the past. It's pretty catchy, too.
06. Tao (Gekiranger 2007) LINK
I'm not crazy about the beginning of this song, but once it starts it's great. It also has Ichiro Mizuki! It's also a fact that any song with the lyric "JUST FEEL IT" has to make my top seven list. It's the law.
05. Kokoro wa Tamago (Jetman 1991) LINK
Of the quartet of Sentai ending songs by Hironobu Kageyama, this is by far the best. It has always been a fan favorite and for myself as well. This is one of like three mellow ending songs in the history of Super Sentai (Heal'n You from Gaoranger and Hadashi no kokoro de from Gingaman being the others--both great songs too, BTW). The fact that I've heard more than one cover of this song says volumes about it's staying power.
04. Denjiman ni makasero! (Denjiman 1980) LINK
This is a song I *have* to include on my list. I might not think it's the greatest song ever, but I whistle it ALL.THE.TIME. It's implanted in my brain. The horns, especially at the end, really make this song for me. There is no denying that this is one of the greats.
03. Kinkyu hasshin! Ohranger (Ohranger 1995) LINK
There is something about Ohranger and Turboranger songs that have superior sound engineering. That's not to say that other Sentai songs don't sound great, but these two series stick out for having rich sounding songs. That said, I really like the energy and depth of this song. It's very nicely put together...it even has that cool little intro--completely unnecessary, but fun. Speaking of which...
"M-A-T Seven-Eight" What the hell is that supposed to mean? In my mind I always pictured that as an Ultraman reference. "M-A-T" standing for MAT (Monster Attack Team) from Kaettekita Ultraman and the "Seven, Eight" standing for M-78, Ultraman's home world. Is Ultraman this "Enemy Flying Object" that she is speaking of?? Did Ohranger secretly kill Ultraman when we weren't looking??? I may be on to something here...
Oh, right...the song. Great song.
02. Ashita ni ikiru ze! (Liveman 1988) LINK
The original Sentai dance hit. It made total sense to have leading man Daisuke Shima sing the themes to this show. He was an established singer before the series and he certainly delivered the goods on both themes and the image song he did. Of the three the ending is definitely my favorite. It was definitely a new direction in tone for Sentai ending songs. I like pretty much all of the ending songs prior to this, but they were all kind of stuffy. This could've been a regular pop song..and it happens to be from my favorite era of Jpop ('85-'90).
Like I said, this was the original Sentai dance hit...minus the corny dancing in the video for it.
01. Oretachi muteki sa!! Dairanger (Dairanger 1993) LINK
The Dairanger single was one of my first and most prized Sentai CDs. As I mentioned in my top seven opening theme list, I love the opening song...but I loooooooooove the ending song. It might not have the depth that I mentioned previously in the Ohranger and Turboranger endings, but it's been my long-standing favorite song. It is the cherry on the top of each episode of my -second- favorite Sentai series of the 90s. I listen to it pretty much daily. It's 20 years later and if I haven't gotten tired of it now, I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.
Honorable Mentions: Basically every song I didn't mention from the 70s, 80s, and 90s plus a few from the 00s...like Timeranger, Gaoranger, and the first Dekaranger ending.
THE ABSOLUTE FUCKING WORST: Super Sentai Hero Getter (Gokaiger 2011)
This song is awful. It's not even a song--it's a sped-up narration set to some shitty techno-fart beat. I understand that they had to deal with blowing through 35 different shows in a single song, but this song is not passable as decent on any level. It's like this guy singing. That guy should never-ever sing...
Moero! Super Sentai Tamashii was waaaay better.
Well...there you have it. My top seven Super Sentai ending songs. If you want to see my other Top 7 lists, here is a convenient link to a page that has them all listed.
See ya!
-CC
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